Aging effects on fire-retardant additives in organic materials for nuclear-plant applications
Inhibiting fire is a major concern of nuclear safety. One of the most widely used commercial fire-retardant additives incorporated into cable insulation and other organic materials to reduce their flammability has been the halocarbon (usually a chlorinated hydrocarbon), typically in combination with antimony oxide. Such materials may be installed for the design lifetime of a nuclear plant; this report describes an investigation of the long-term aging behavior of these fire-retardant additives in polymeric materials. Extensive aging experiments on fire-retarded formulations of ethylene propylene rubber (EPR) and of chlorosulfonated polyethylene (CSPE) have been carried out, with chemical analysis of halogen and antimony content performed as a function of aging time and conditions. Oxygen index flammability measurements were also performed on selected samples. Significant fire-retardant losses (both chlorine (Cl) and antimony (Sb)) were found to occur in certain of the fire-retardant materials but not in others, depending on the molecular structure of the particular halogen-containing component. The data indicate that the loss of halogen- and antimony-based fire retardants appears to be insignificant under ambient conditions expected for nuclear plants.
- Research Organization:
- Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC04-76DP00789
- OSTI ID:
- 6947907
- Report Number(s):
- NUREG/CR-2868; SAND-82-0485; ON: DE82022060
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
220200* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Components & Accessories
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360303 -- Composite Materials-- Mechanical Properties-- (-1987)
CABLES
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
COMBUSTION PROPERTIES
CONDUCTOR DEVICES
ELECTRIC CABLES
ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
ELECTRICAL INSULATION
EQUIPMENT
FIRE RESISTANCE
FLAMMABILITY
MATERIALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC POLYMERS
POLYETHYLENES
POLYMERS
POLYOLEFINS
REACTOR MATERIALS