New GEON® Plenstar® PVC Plenum Compound replaces expensive Fluoropolymers in Plenum Cables

Challenge

Communication Cable Manufacturers have historically been forced to use expensive fluoropolymers as inner jackets when PVC is employed as the outer jacketing material in plenum (CMP) cables. GEON was asked to develop an enhanced PVC jacketing compound that would have sufficiently high smoke and flame suppression to allow manufacturers to replace some, or all, of the fluoropolymer inners with significantly less expensive polyolefin materials while still meeting UL 910 and NFPA 262 requirements.

GEON® was tasked by several partners/customers, which manufacture communications cable, to develop a PVC formulation that meets the following Critical to Quality (CTQ):

• PVC jacketing compound that would have sufficiently high smoke and flame suppression to allow manufacturers to replace some, or all, of the fluoropolymer inners with significantly less expensive polyolefin materials
• Meets UL 444/UL910 and NFPA 262 requirements for plenum communication cables
• Applicable in both shielded and unshielded
• Processes at adequate line speed
• Meets/Exceeds all existing performance requirements (physical/mechanical) for current plenum grades

Solutions

GEON’s Innovation Team developed a PVC jacketing compound that has superior smoke and flame suppression enabling manufacturers to replace some, or all, of the fluoropolymer inners with significantly less expensive polyolefin materials and meet UL910 and NFPA 262 requirements for plenum communication cables. This resulted in the development of GEON Plenstar® Flex WJJP603 PVC plenum compound for use as a jacketing material in communication cables.

Plenstar® Flex WJJP603

Impact

GEON Plenstar® Flex WJJP603 PVC plenum compound for use as a jacketing material in communications cables has superior smoke and flame suppression enabling manufacturers to replace some, or all, of the fluoropolymer inners with significantly less expensive polyolefin materials
and meet UL910 and NFPA 262 requirements reducing the overall cost of their cables in both shielded and unshielded plenum cable designs. In addition, this formulation allows them to keep pace with a growing demand for riser and plenum products. This grade further expands GEON’s
exceptional PVC compound portfolio for communications riser and plenum applications such as UL 444 category data cables, RG coaxial cables optical fiber distribution cables and breakout cables.