Aerco stocks zero-halogen EcoGen cable from Alpha Wire
As a premier UK distributor of Alpha Wire, Aerco stocks the EcoGen™ range of high-performance wire and cable products that contain no halogens, phthalates or heavy metals. With mPPE thermoplastic insulation and jacketing that can be easily recycled the product range fully meets RoHS and WEEE requirements for the elimination of hazardous substances and recyclability while offering considerable size and weight savings when compared to traditional PVC and XLPE wire and cable.
The dangers of PVC insulated cable when major fires occur cannot be overstated. When PVC burns hydrogen chloride gas is formed and when this condenses with water vapour or on to a wet surface, hydrochloric acid is formed sometimes with catastrophic consequences.
This has been proved to be a major factor in conflagrations such as, in 1982, when HMS Sheffield was lost in The Falklands conflict with 22 members of the crew losing their lives and in the 1987 escalator fire at Kings Cross tube station when 31 people died.
The recognition of these dangers led to the introduction of zero halogen cable that is produced without using any of the halogen group of elements, florine, bromine, iodine and astatine, as well as the chlorine found in PVC. Materials within the polyethylene family have always been favourites for this technology as well as silicone, but recently EcoGen products with mPPE insulation and jacketing developed by Alpha Wire have taken the technology to a new level.