Huntsman to spotlight halogen-free cabling material at K2013

At this year’s K2013, thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) experts from Huntsman will highlight one of the company’s key materials for the wire and cable industry. IROGRAN® A95 P 5003 is a high performance, halogen-free cable jacketing solution that combines the mechanical benefits of TPU with excellent fire retardant behavior.

With a limited oxygen index (LOI) of more than 30, the product exceeds the performance of many competitor products. In the past, achieving a high LOI meant using halogenated additives. However, recent concerns about the health and ecological effects of halogenated fire retardants have resulted in the need for product improvements.

Drawing on its extensive knowledge of TPU chemistry, and its deep understanding of the wire and cable industry, Huntsman developed IROGRAN® A 95 P 5003 TPU – without the use of any halogenated materials.

IROGRAN® A 95 P 5003 has a very short self-extinguishing time, is compliant with key criteria set out in the European RoHS directive, and is capable of passing the most stringent UL fire standards. It is ideal for use in confined spaces where cables need to be tightly bunched together or where ventilation may be poor.

IROGRAN® A 95 P 5003 is part of Huntsman’s IROGRAN® portfolio – a range of TPU materials that are used wherever maximum mechanical strength, high tear resistance and mechanical reliability are a must. IROGRAN® A 95 P 5003 can be processed in exactly the same way as conventional cabling materials, using standard manufacturing equipment. It is ideally suited to the creation of jackets for control cables, fiber optic cables, power system cables and leads for consumer devices such as mobile phones, computers and digital cameras. The resulting cables are also easy to print on.

Franz Michel, Market Manager Technical Extrusion TPU EAIME at Huntsman, said: "Making materials for wire and cable applications is a key part of our technical extrusion business. We have in-depth knowledge of industry trends and legislative issues and a vast portfolio of TPU products that can be tailor-made to meet performance criteria, in any part of the wire and cable market. We will use these combined capabilities to help grow the segment over the coming years and K2013 will be a great place to update customers on our latest innovations.”