Flame-retardant wires and cables must possess flame-retardant properties. According to the "Fire Test Methods for Bundled Wires and Cables" (GB/T18380.3-2001), they can be classified into three flame-retardant grades: A, B, and C, with Grade A having the highest flame-retardant performance.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology conducted comparative combustion tests on flame-retardant and non-flame-retardant wires. The following test results demonstrate the importance of using flame-retardant wires and cables:
a. Flame-retardant wires provide 15 times more escape time than non-flame-retardant wires;
b. The material burned by flame-retardant wires is only half that of non-flame-retardant wires;
c. The heat release rate of flame-retardant wires is only one-quarter that of non-flame-retardant wires;
d. The amount of toxic gases produced by combustion is only one-third that of non-flame-retardant products;
e. In terms of smoke production, there is no significant difference between flame-retardant and non-flame-retardant products.
