New Ethylene Vinyl Acetate Copolymers for Wire and Cable Compounds.

This paper describes a series of new ethylene vinyl acetate copolymers that have been designed for use in low smoke zero halogen cable compounds. Common mineral flame retardants, such as aluminum hydroxide and magnesium hydroxide, are hydroscopic. Water absorption by highly filled flame-retardant compounds leads to mechanical property and wet electrical failures, thus limiting the total amount of flame retardant that can be added and capping the flame-retardancy performance that can be achieved while meeting water resistance requirements. This paper will present data on two new EVA copolymers that when combined with aluminum hydroxide result in a flame-retardant compound with reduced water absorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]