Lubrizol Engineered Polymers (Cleveland, OH) announced it has developed several new, halogen-free ESTANE brand ZHF thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) grades that feature low toxicity, low smoke and low gas conductivity to offer a wider range of high-performing polymers to cable manufacturers.
The company says the design versatility of its new ESTANE ZHF polymers expands the scope of applications the new grades can be applied in, including for thinner or colored cables.
Per Lubrizol, the new ESTANE ZHF TPU products, with descriptions, include:
* ESTANE ZHF 90AT8 NAT 02: Ideal for robotic and communications cables.
* ESTANE ZHF 58202 NAT 02: Best features are its easy processability and low gas conductivity combined with excellent flame-retardant performance.
* ESTANE ZHF 58370 NAT 01: It shows very easy processability and extremely low gas conductivity in compliance with IEC 62893 and EN 50620 Standards for electric vehicles’ (EV) charging cables.
* ESTANE ZHF 58211 NAT 01: It combines very good thermal resistance and easy processability with excellent flame-retardant performance.
* ESTANE ZHF 85AT8 MATT: It features a matt surface jointly with good flame-retardant performance and easy processability.
Fabio Morelli, new business development senior manager for Lubrizol Engineered Polymers in EMEA, noted, “New emerging applications have demanding material requirements, and international cable-related regulations are also becoming more stringent. As an example, some ESTANE ZHF grades have been designed after a collaborative development process with key manufacturers of EV charging cables.”
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The new ZHF resins also meet needs for more sustainable alternatives because of their recyclability and improvement of processability in the extrusion of most cables, adds the manufacturer.
Morelli added, “The new ESTANE ZHF 58202 and 58370 grades have the standard features of a TPU (e.g. durability and good hydrolysis resistance), but also show very low conductivity levels. Lubrizol’s regulatory and legal expert team has ensured that the new ESTANE portfolio without halogenated flame retardants is compliant with the standards required by the cable industry.”