CA1242296A - Fire retarding chrorinated polyethylene wire coating compositions - Google Patents

Abstract

FIRE RETARDING CHLORINATED POLYETHYLENE WIRE
COATING COMPOSITION
Abstract of the Disclosure Disclosed is a highly flame resistant composition having low smoke properties. The composition consists essentially of chlorinated polyethylene having a chlorine content of at least 25%, and dispersed therein finely divided inorganic antimony material at a concentration of at least about 39% by weight of the chlorinated polyethylene. The composition is useful as insulation for wire and cable, particularly plenum cable.

Description

~ his invention comprises a very highly flame resistant insulation composition that issues relatively small amounts of smoke during burning. This composition finds particular application as insulation for electrical wire and cable. The embodiments of this invention are especially advantageous as insulation for electrical cable strung in the air-handling spaces of buildings, which cables are commonly known as plenum cables. This invention, more particularly, provides such very h:ighly flame re-taxdan-t insulation composition having improved smoke properties, which is composed of ordinary flame resis-tant substances. Further, the preferred embodiments of this invention provides plenum cable that does not require enclo-sure within a metal conduit when used in commercial and indus-trial buildings.
The presence of a drop ceiling typifies many commercial buildings, such as office buildings, and certain industrial buildings. The drop ceiling supports the light and ventila-tion fixtures and masks the plumbing and electrical networks.
Significantly, from a fire safety standpoint, the drop ceiling also forms a wall which together with the ceiling and portions of the side or partition walls define an enclosed space or plenum. Generally, the air returns to the heating and cooling units of the building through the enclosed space or plenum, although the plenum may contain exhaust ducts for this pur-pose.
~ hen a fire starts in a portion of the occupied space ofthese buildings, partitions between that portion and other portions slow its lateral spread within such occupied space.
The fire can spread quickly, however, throughout a whole story of the building along flammable electrical cable within the plenum.
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I

Bodies, such as writers of the "National Electrical Code"
O~ r~ s r~ r~5 (NEC),Iset stringent standards for the plenum cables used in these buildings. At one time, the ~EC recommended that metal conduit enclose all electrical cable used in a plenum.
More recently, electrical cable insulated and jacketed with certain fluorocarbon polymers has been approved for use in plenums. The approval of these polymers for use in plenum cables was not contingent on the enclosure o-f the cable insu-lated with these florocarbon polymers within a ~etal conduit.
Rather, such cable passed a test specifically designed to evaluate its suitability for use without a metal condui~ in plenums.
Plenum cables made from the aforementioned fluorocarbon polymers are less costly than metal encased cables. It would lS be desirable, however, if flame retardant materials which are less costly than fluorocarbon polymers could be used in plenum cables.
Certain halogen-containing substances, antimony-contain-ing inorganic compounds, and aluminum trihydrate are less costly than flurocarbon polymers, and are known to impart some degree of flame retardancy. For example, the use of antimony oxide, aluminum trihydrate or both as flame retar~ant material in combination with a halogen-containing substance is known.
~owever, until this invention, generally no more than 20% by weight of the halogen-containing substance of the antimony oxide, aluminum trihydrate, or both has been used in any com-position containing a halogen-containing substance. This is particularly true when the halogen-containing substance is a halogen-containing polymer. Examples of such compositions may be found in Lyons, ~ he Chemistry and Uses of Fire Retardants, pp. 293-301 (1970), and U.S. Patent, ~o.
4,096,345, to Stine et al.
The reason why generally 20% has been an upper limit appears to be that antimony oxide is an additive which pro-duces smoke upon burning of the composition containing it.
~ o minimize the amount of smoke produced by the antimonyo~ide upon combustion, some workers have combined antimony oxide with other compounds, such as sodium antimonate. For example, U.S. Patent No. 3,723,139 teaches the use of a mixture at a concentration between 1% and 55% by weight of the normally flammable resin, such as polyvinyl chloride, which mixture consists of 70% to 90% antimony oxide and 10% to 30% sodium, potassium, or magnesium antimonate. Preferably, the mixture also contains 5% to 15% magnesium oxide.
Hence, it was quite unexpected when large quantities of antimony oxide alone provided a composition which was resistant to flame spread and had low smoke characteristics.
In fact, both the flame resistance and smoke characteristics of the composition were good enough to qualify the composition for use in the insulation of plenum cables.
This invention combines cer-tain ordinary flame retardants into a new and unobvious, highly flame resistant and low smoke producing composition useful in the insulation of electrical wire and cable, particularly in the insulation oF certain types of plenum cable.
All parts andpercentages in this disclosure are by weight unless otherwise indicated.
In summary, the invention comprises a composition consisting essentially of chlorinated polyethlene having a chl.orine content of at least 25%, and dispersed therein finely divided inorganic antimony material at a concentration of at least about 39% by weight based on the total weight of the chlorinated polyethylene and the inorganic material.

Suitable chlorinated polyethylenes are commercially available. Preferably the chlorinated polyethylene is elastomeric.
Typically the chlorinated polyethylene has a chlorine content from about 25% to about 47%. Especially desirable is chlorinated polyethylene having a chlorine content from about 39% to about 45%.
Typical inorganic antimony material comprises antimony oxides and inorganic antimony complexes. Sui-table antimony b23~ Sb24~ Sb4O6 and Sb4Olo Antimony oxy chloride is a typical inorganic antimony complex. Normally, the antimony complexes contain at least 41% antimony. Antimony trioxide (Sb2O3) is the preferred inorganic antimony material.
In preferred embodiments of the composition the Einely divided antimony material is at a concentration from about 39% to about 45% by weight based on the total weight of the chlorinated polyethylene and the antimony material (namely, about 62.9 to 81.8 parts by weight of the antimony material per 100 parts by weight of the chlorinated polyethylene).
In the most preferred embodiments of the composition the inorganic antimony material is at a concentration from about 42% to abou-t 45~ by weight based on the total weight of the chlorinated polyethylene and the antimony material (namely, about 72.4 to about 81~8 parts by weight of the antimony material per 100 parts by weight of the chlorinated polyethylene).
Suitable organic flame retardent compounds are halogenated aromatic compounds having at least about 55%, preferably from - 4a - 22124-1599 60% to about 80%, of the compound of a halogen selected from bromine and chlorine. Especially desirable organic compounds are N, N'-alkylenebis(tetrabromophthalimide)s, such as N, N'ethylenebis(tetrabromophthalimide).
Conventioanl additives normally used in the manufacture of electrical insulation, such as heat stabilizers, antioxidants and crosslinkers also can be included in the compositions of this invention.
Suitable heat stabilizers include lead stabilizers, such as lead phthalate or lead oxide. Up to about 10% (based on the toal weight of the composition) of the stabilizer can be used. Typical antioxidants include hindered phenolic anti-oxidants. The compositions can contain up to about 2~o oE an antiox:idant. Suitable crosslinking agents include unsatura-ted polyester prepolymers, such as unsaturated methacyla-te prepolymers.
Up to about 2% (based on the composition) of the crosslinker can be included.
The very highly flame retardant insulation composition of this invention is made by any suitable compounding procedure so as to form a homogeneous mixture of the above identified ingredients. In one such procedure, the componen-ts are admixed in a Banbury mixer at temperatures up to about 150C. In one embodiment of this invention, the intimately admixed composition then is pelletized for subsequent use.
The composition of this invention is used by coating metallic wires or other electrical conductors with it to form - 4b - 22124-1599 an insulation of desired thickness. Thus, pellets of the com-position are melted, and the melt is extruded about wires or metallic conductors of suitable gauge, e.g., 22 gauge and 24 gauge, preferably at temperatures higher than the initial mixing temperatures, e.g., from about 150C. to about 200C.
The ~2 insulated e]ectrical conductor a~ticle has a coating in which the insulation wall thickness is frc)m about 0.04 inch to about 0.005 inch.
Preferably, bu-t not necessarily, subsequent to the extrusion coating of the wire or other electrical conductor, the insulation eomposition is crosslinked as by exposing it to high energy ionizing radiation, such as high voltage electrons, x-rays, gamma rays from a source such as cobalt 60, and -the like. The preferred source of high energy ionizing irradiation is a high voltage electron accelerator. The radiation time to effect the necessary amount of crosslinking when a typical high voltage electron accelerator is used can vary from abou-t 2 seconds to about 60 seconds. The total radia-tion dose should be from about 3 megarads and about 20 megarads. Preferred conclitions for irrad-iatiny the composition using an electron accelerator are about 6 seconds at a radiation intensity of about 1.66 megarads per second, with the total radiation dose being about 10 megarads.
This invention in another aspect provides a cable comprising: (a) at least two conductors; (b) -the insulation compos-ition mentioned above about said conductors; (c) a barrier wrapselected from the group consisting essentially of a woven glass fabrie impregnated with polytetrafluoroethylene and a polyester material; and (d) a jacket comprising an extruded polymeric material.
The cable may be made by taking pairs of wires or other electrical conductors insulated with the composition of this invention, and then gathering them together, or optionally twisting `

- 5a -them together, to form a bundle of suitable size, e.g. from one pair to about twenty-five pairs of twisted wires or from about three pairs to about sixty pairs of untwisted wires. The bundle is preferably wrapped with a barrier tape. The tape can be made from a polyester material, but, more preferably, is made from glass fiber impregnated with a highly fluorinated polymer. Suitable fluorinated polymers include polytetrafluoroethylene, fluorinated ethylene propylene and polyvinylidene fluoride.
The bundle encased in barrier tape is jacketed as by extrusion coating, typically with commercially available fluorocarbon jacketing material~ The fluorocarbon jacket comprises a highly fluorinated polymer preferably selected from the group consisting of polytetraEluorethylene, Eluorinated ethylene propylene and polyvlnylidene Eluoride. q'he thickness of the wall oE the jacket can vary from cable to cable, but ,~

) normally will be from about 0.1 inch to about 0.004 inch, usu-ally from about 0.04 inch to about 0.01 inch thick. The pre-ferred fluorocarbon jacketing material i5 polyvinylidene fluoride. On the other hand, the very highly flame retardant wixe coating composition of this invention can serve as the jacket material.
The following examples illustrate aspects of this inven-tion.
Example 1 ~his example illustrates a preferred specific embodiment of the insulation composition of this invention, and how to prepare it.
The formulation of the composition is set forth in Table I.
Table I

.
Components Par-ts _ ~
Chorinated polyethylene having a clllorine . 100 content of ~2%
Antimony trioxide (Sb2O3) 80 Dibasic lead phthalate 20 Tetrakis[methylene 3-(3', 5'-di-tert-butyl- 3 4'-hydroxyphenyl)propionate~ methane Trimethylol propane trimethylacrylate 3 The composition ls made by admixing the components in a Banbury mixer until a temperature of about 150C. is reached.
The resulting composition is then pelletized.
Examp]e 2 The example illustrates how to make a preferred embodi-ment of the insulated conductor of this invention.
Pellets of the insulation composition of Example 1 are melted and extruded through a 1 and 1/4 inch extruder about a copper wire conductor having an outside diameter (O. D.) of 0.020 inch under conven-tional extrusion conditions.
The final O. D. of the insulated conductor is 0.034 inch, and the insulation wall is 0.014 inch thick.

Exa~ple 3 The example illustrates how to ma~e an insulated eondue-tor of this invention, wherein the insulation composition is erosslinked.
An insulated conductor made according to ~ample 2 is irradiated with an electron aecelerator for about 7 seeonds to about 11 seconds to achieve a total radiation dose of 10 mega-rads.
Thu~, the invention provides a useful composition, an insulated eonduetor and eable, whieh have high flame resis-tance and low smoke development upon burning.
The expression "consisting essentially of" as used in this speeifieation exeludes any unrecited substance at a con-eentration sufficient to substantially adversely affeet the essential properties and charaeteristies of the composition of matter being defined, while permitting the presenee of one or more unreeited substanees at eoneentrations insuffieient to substantially adversely affeet said essential properties and characteristics.

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- 7a- 22124-1599 Supplementary Disclosure It has now been Eound that a blend oE the chlorinated polyethylene with a certain other chlorinated organic substance can be used in place of the chlorinated polyethylene.
Such blends include (i) a blend of the chlorinated polyethylene having a chlorine content of at least 25% by weight thereof and a resinous chlorinated paraffin having at least 40% chlorine by weight thereof and (ii) a blend of the chlorinated polyethylene having a chlorine content of at least 25% by weight thereof, chlorinated paraffin having at least 40% chlorine by wei~ht thereof and plyethylene having a melt index Erom about 0.2 to about 30.
Suitable chlorinated parafElns include liquicl and resin-ous chlorinated paraffins having at least 40%, preferably from about 40% to about 70% chlorine by weight thereof. More prefer-ably the chlorinated paraffins have from about 60~ to about 70% chlorine by weight. Up to about 30% by weight of the total composition of the chlorinated paraffin can be used. Preferably from about 9% to about 18% is used. Most preferably, from about 10% to about 17% is employed.
Any polyethylene having a melt index from 0.2 to about 30 can be used in an amount up to about 13%, preferably from about 4% to about 8% by weight of the total composition. A
low density polyethylene having a melt index of about 20 to about 30 is preferred, because it is easy to disperse in the chlorinated polyethylene.

D?

~ 2~2~3~

- 7b - 22124-1599 When the blend (i.e., polymeric material) is employed in place of the chlorinated polyethylene, the amount of the finely divided antimony material is normally from about 32 to about 50%, preferably from abou-t 36 to about 45~, more preferably from about 42 toabou-t45% by weight based on the total amount of the polymeric material and the antimony material. In other words, the antimony is normally from about 48 to about 100, preferably from about 56 to about 83, more preferably from about 73 to about 83 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the--polymeric material.
Typically, the chlorine content of the total composition ranges from about 18 to about 32~, preferably from about 19 to about 23~ and more preferably from about 20 to 23~ by weight.
The combination oE the chlorinated polyethylene, the chlorinated paraffin and the polyethylene is particularly useful for telephone plenum cables. When the chlorinated polyethylene alone is used as the polymeric material, the dielectric constant is higher when the blend of the chlorinated polyethylene, the chlorinated paraffin and the polyethylene is used. The higher the dielectric constant, the higher the capacitance. The higher the capacitance, the greater the cross talk interference in telephone conversations. The dielectric constant can be lowered by adding the polyethylene and the chlorinated paraffin while at the same time maintaining a suitable chlorine content.
Compositions of this invention containing the chlorinated poly-ethylene, the chlorinated paraffin and the polyethylene, for ~ , .

- 7c - 22124-1599 example, have a dielectric constant of from about 3.6 to about 4.2 at 20C, whereas compositions of this invention containing only the chlorinated polyethylene have a dielectric constant from about 5.0 to about 6.0 at 20C.
~ rom the above, it might appear that other chlorine containing polymers, such as polyvinyl chloride, could be used in the practice of this invention. However, when vinyl chloride polymers are used in place of the polymeric material in the composition of this invention, the resulting compositions are so brittle that it is impossible to extrude them about a conductor.
Conventional additives which are described hereinbeEore can be used when the blend is used as the polymeric material.

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~2~
- 7d -Example 4 Thi~ example illustrates a ~pecific e~bodiment of the insulation composition of this invention.
The compo~i~ion i~ prepared u~ing the procedure of Example l and for~ulation of Table l, except llO parts anti-~ony o~ide iq used rather than 80 parts and except that 2 parts stearic acid and lO0 parts chlorinated paraffin having a 65% chlorine content by weight thereof are added.

Examples 5-9 These examples illustrate other specific embodiments of the insulation composition of this invention.
The compositions of these example~ are prepared accord-ing to the procedure of Example 1. The components of the compoqitions are ~et forth in Table II below.

Table II

Example Nos.

Components _ Parts by_Wei~t Chlorinated polyethylene having a chlorine content of 42% by weight thereof 80 80 65 80 80 Chlorinated paraffin having a 65B chlorine content by weiyht thereof 50 35 50 25 50 Polyethylene having a melt index of 25 20 20 35 20 20 Antimony trioxide (Sb2O3) llO llO llO llO 178 Dibasic lead phthalate 20 20 20 20 20 Tetrakis[methylene 3-(3', 5'-di-tert-butyl-4'-hydroxyphenyl)pro-pionate~ methane 3 3 3 3 3 Trimethylol propane tri-~ethylacrylate 3 3 3 3 3 Stearic Acid 2 2 2 2 2 - 7e -The co~position of Exa~ple~ 5-9 are particularly useful in telephone plenum wire and cable since they have a low dielectric constant. Typically the dielectric constant at 20C ranges from about 3.6 to about 4.2.
Twenty five pairs of No. 24 AWG telephone cable (or 50 wires) employing the ext~uded compo~ition of Example 1 ~Table I) and the extruded compo ition of ~xample 5 (Table II) were tested in the Steiner Tunnel in accordance with the Test Method for Fire and Smoke Characteri~tics of Cables ~UL
910). Each of the twenty~five pair~ was wrapped with glass reinforced polytetrafluoroethylene impregnated barrier tape and jacketed with polyvinylidene fluoride. Sufficient test specimen~ were taken from each ~et of 25 pairs so that two tests could be conducted on each set. The results are shown 15 below in Table III.

Table III

Exa~ple Nos.
Com~onents 1 5 Number cables tested 34 34 20 Avg. conductor diam., mlls 19~7 2001 Avg. insuLation thickness, mils 6.6 5.0 Min. insulation thickness, mils 5.5 3.0 Avg~ max. jacket thickness, ~ils 30.0 30.0 Max. flame spread distance, ft.
Test 1 2.5 4.0 Test 2 3.5 4.5 Optical Density Test 1 - Peak .325 .24 Average .130 .10 Tes~ 2 - Peak .427 .44 Average .175 .12 In order to pass the aforementioned Steiner Tunnel test (UL 9~0) the maximu~ ~la~e qpread cannot exceed 5 feet in distance and the smoke as measured by the optical density cannot exceed a peak of 0.5.

,, A5 comparisons, two compositione; containing less than 32% an~-imony oxide (Controls 1 and 2) are prepared according to the procedure of Example 1 and having the formulacions set forth in Table IV.

Table IV

_ Cont rol g, Parts by Weight Com onents 1 2 P ~
Chlorinated polyethylene having a 10 chlorine content of 42~ by weight thereof ao 80 Chlorinated paraffin having a 65~
chlorine content by weight thereof 50 50 Polyethylene having a melt index of ~5 20 20 Antimony trioxide (Sb2O3) 60 10 Dibasic lead phthalate 20 20 Tetrakis[methylene 3-(3',5'-di-tert-butyl-4'-hydroxyphenyl)-propionate] m~thane 3 3 Trimethylol propane trimethyl-acrylate 3 3 Stearic Acid 2 Plaques 2 1/2" long, 1/2" wide and 1/4" thick of the compo~citions of Example 5 and of Controls 1 and 2 are pre-pared by compression molding with a Carver press. The plaques are then burned in an Arapahoe smoke chamber and the smoke collected on glass fiber filter paper, grade 934 AH.
The percent pure reflectance of the Arapohoe smoke coated filter papers is then measured with a General Electric recording spectrophotometer using barium as the reference standardO The higher the percen~ reflectance, the whiter the material being measured, which in this instance is the s~oke. The results are set forth below in Ta~le V.

- 7g -Table V
.

Reflectance, ~
Example/Control _ _ at 560 nanome~er Example 537.9 Control 15.0 Control 28. a It is clear from the reflectance test results that the compositions containing less than 32~ antimony oxide (Con-trol~ 1 and 2) give off very black smoke whereas those having 32~ or more give off smoke which is whiter.
Thus, the invention provides a useful composition, an insulated conductor and cable, which have high flame re4is-; tance and low smoke development upon burning.
The expression "consisting essentially of" as used in this specification excludes any unrecited substance at a concentration sufficient to substantially adversely affect the essential properties and characteristics of the composi-tion of matter being defined, while permitting the presence of one or more unrecited substances at concentrations insuf-ficient to substantially adver~ely affect said essentialproperties and characteri tics.
Fea~ure~, advantages and other specific embodiments of this invention will become readily apparent to those exercis-ing ordinary skill in the art after reading the foregoin~
disclosure~. In this regard, while specific embodiments of this invention have been described in considerable detail, variations and modifications of these embodiments can be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as disclosed and claimed.

Claims (60)

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOW:

1. A composition useful as insulation for plenum wire, which consists essentially of: (a) chlorinated polyethylene having a chlorine content of at least 25% by weight thereof;
and (b) finely divided inorganic antimony material at a concentration of at least about 39% by weight based on the total weight of the chlorinated polyethylene and the inorganic antimony material.

2. The composition according to claim 1, in which said finely divided inorganic antimony material is selected from the group consisting of antimony oxides and antimony inorganic complexes.

3. The composition of claim 2, wherein the finely divided inorganic antimony material consists essentially of an antimony oxide.

4. The composition of claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the concentration of the finely divided antimony material is from about 39% to about 45% by weight based on the total weight of the chlorinated polyethylene and the inorganic antimony material.

5. The composition of claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the concentration of the finely divided antimony material is from about 42% to about 45% by weight based on the total weight of the chlorinated polyethylene and the inorganic antimony material.

6. The composition of claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the chlorin-ated polyethylene has a chlorine content of from about 25%
to about 47%.

7. The composition of claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the concentration of the finely divided antimony material is from about 39% to about 45% by weight based on the total weight of the chlorinated polyethylene and the inorganic antimony material and the chlorinated polyethylene has a chlorine content of from about 25% to about 47%.

8. The composition of claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein said com-position includes a lead stabilizer in an amount of up to 10%
based on the total composition.

9. The composition of claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the concentr-ation of the finely divided antimony material is from about 39% to about 45% by weight based on the total weight of the chlorinated polyethylene and the inorganic antimony material;
and the chlorinated polyethylene has a chlorine content of from about 39% to about 45%.

10. The composition of claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the concentr-ation of the finely divided antimony material is from about 39% to about 45% by weight based on the total weight of the chlorinated polyethylene and the inorganic antimony material;
the chlorinated polyethylene has a chlorine content of from about 25% to about 47%; and said composition includes a lead stabilizer in an amount of up to 10% based on the total composition.

11. The composition of claim 1, wherein said composition includes a crosslinker in an amount of up to 2% based on the total composition.

12. A composition useful as insulation for plenum wire, consisting essentially of: (a) chlorinated polyethylene having a chlorine content of from about 39% to about 45% by weight thereof; and (b) finely divided inorganic antimony material at a concentration from about 42% to about 45% by weight based on the total weight of the chlorinated polyethylene and the antimony material.

13. The composition according to claim 12, in which said finely divided inorganic antimony material is selected from the group consisting of antimony oxides and antimony inorganic complexes.

14. The composition of claim 13, wherein the finely divided inorganic antimony material consists essentially of antimony oxide.

15. The composition of claim 12, 13 or 14, wherein the composition also includes dibasic lead phthalate stabilizer in an amount of up to 10% by weight based on the total compos-ition.

16. The composition of claim 12, 13 or 14, wherein the composition also includes trimethylol propane trimethacrylate crosslinker in an amount of up to 2% by weight based on the total weight of the composition.

17. Insulated conductor in which the insulation comprises the composition of claim 1.

18. Insulated conductor in which the insulation comprises the composition of claim 11, which composition has been cross-linked by irradiation after extrusion of said composition about the wire.

19. Cable comprising: (a) at least two conductors; (b) the insulation composition of claim 1 about said conductors;
(c) a barrier wrap selected from the group consisting essentially of a woven glass fabric impregnated with polytetrafluoroethylene and a polyester material; and (d) a jacket comprising an extruded polymeric material.

20. Cable of claim 19, wherein the barrier wrap is a woven glass fabric impregnated with polytetrafluoroethylene.

21. Cable of claim 19 or 20, wherein the jacket comprises polyvinylidene fluoride.

22. Cable of claim 19 or 20, wherein the jacket comprises the composition of claim 1.

23. Cable comprising: (a) at least two conductors; (b) the insulation composition of claim 12 about said conductors;
(c) a barrier wrap selected from the group consisting essentially of a woven glass fabric impregnated with polytetrafluoroethylene and a polyester material; and (d)a jacket comprising an extruded polymeric material.

24. Cable of claim 23 wherein the barrier wrap is a woven glass fabric impregnated with polytetrafluoroethylene.

25. Cable of claim 23 or 24, wherein the jacket comprises polyvinylidene fluoride.

26. Cable of claim 23 or 24 wherein the jacket comprises the composition of claim 1.

27. Cable of claim 23 or 24 wherein the jacket comprises the composition of claim 12.

CLAIMS SUPPORTED BY SUPPLEMENTARY DISCLOSURE

28. A composition useful as insulation for plenum wire, which consists essentially of:
(a) a polymeric material selected from the group consisting of:
(i) a chlorinated polyethylene having a chlorine content of at least 25% by weight thereof, (ii) a blend of a chlorinated polyethylene having at least 25% chlorine by weight thereof, and up to about 30% by weight of the total composition of a resinous chlorinated paraffin having at least 40% chlorine by weight thereof, and (iii) a blend of a chlorinated polyethylene having at least 25% chlorine by weight thereof, up to about 30% by weight of the total composition of a resinous chlorinated paraffin having at least 40% chlorine by weight thereof and up to about 13% by weight of the total composition of a polyethylene having a melt index from about 0.2 to about 30; and (b) a finely divided inorganic antimony material dispersed in the polymeric material wherein the amount of the inorganic antimony material is:
A. at least about 39% by weight based on the total weight of the chlorinated polyethylene and the inorganic antimony material when the polymeric material is the chlorinated polyethyl-ene only, or B. from about 32 to about 50% by weight based on the total weight of the polymeric material and the inorganic antimony material when the polymeric material is the blend (ii) or (iii).

29. The composition of claim 28, wherein the total chlorine content of the composition is from about 18 to 32% by weight.

30. The composition of claim 29, wherein the polymeric material is the blend (ii).

31. The composition of claim 29, wherein the polymeric material is the blend (iii).

32. The composition of claim 30, wherein the chlorinated polyethylene has a chlorine content of from about 25% to about 47%.

33. The composition of claim 31, wherein the chlorinated polyethylene has a chlorine content of from about 25% to about 47%.

34. The composition of claim 32, wherein the chlorinated paraffin has a chlorine content of from about 40 to about 70%
by weight and is used in an amount of from about 9 to 18% by weight based on the total composition.

35. The composition of claim 33, wherein the chlorinated paraffin has a chlorine content of from about 40 to about 70%
by weight and is used in an amount of from about 9 to18% by weight based on the total composition.

36. The composition of claim 32, wherein the chlorinated paraffin has a chlorine content of from about 60 to about 70%
by weight and is used in an amount of from about 9 to 18% by weight based on the total composition.

37. The composition of claim 33, wherein the chlorinated paraffin has a chlorine content of from about 60 to about 70%
by weight and is used in an amount of from about 9 to 18% by weight based on the total composition.

38. The composition of claim 31, wherein the polyolefin has a melt index of about 20 to about 30 and is used in an amount of about 4 to about 8% by weight based on -the total composition.

39. The composition of claim 33, wherein the polyolefin has a melt index of about 20 to about 30 and is used in an amount of about 4 to about 8% by weight based on the total composition.

40. The composition of claim 35, wherein the polyolefin has a melt index of about 20 to about 30 and is used in an amount of about 4 to about 8% by weight based on the total composition.

41. The composition of claim 37, wherein the polyolefin has a melt index of about 20 to about 30 and is used in an amount of about 4 to about 8% by weight based on the total composition.

42. The composition according to claim 30, 32 or 34, in which said finely divided inorganic antimony material is selected from the group consisting of antimony oxides and antimony inorganic complexes.

43. The composition according to claim 31, 33 or 35, in which said finely divided inorganic antimony material is selected from the group consisting of antimony oxides and antimony inorganic complexes.

44. The composition of claim 30, 32 or 34, wherein the finely divided inorganic antimony material consists essentially of an antimony oxide.

45. The composition of claim 31, 33 or 35, wherein the finely divided inorganic antimony material consists essentially of an antimony oxide.

46. A composition useful as insulation for plenum wire, which consists essentially of:
(a) a polymeric material selected from the group consisting of:
(ii) a blend of a chlorinated polyethylene having a chlorine content of from about 39% to about 45% by weight thereof and from about 9% to about 18% by weight based on the total composition of a resinous chlorinated paraffin having from about 60% to about 70% chlorine by weight thereof, and (iii) a blend of a chlorinated polyethylene having a chlorine content of from about 39% to about 45% by weight thereof, from about 9% to about 18% by weight based on the total composition of a resinous chlorinated paraffin having from about 60% to about 70% chlorine by weight thereof, and from about 4% to about 13% by weight based on the total composition of a low density polyethylene having a melt index from about 20 to about 30; and (b) a finely divided inorganic antimony material at a concentration of from about 42 to about 45% by weight based on the total amount of the polymeric material and the inorganic antimony material, wherein the composition has a total chlorine content of from about 18 to about 32% by weight.

47. The composition according to claim 46, in which said finely divided inorganic antimony material is selected from the group consisting of antimony oxides and antimony inorganic complexes.

48. The composition of claim 46, wherein the finely divided inorganic antimony material consists essentially of an antimony oxide.

49. The composition of claim 46, wherein the polymeric material is the blend (iii).

50. The composition of claim 47, wherein the polymeric material is the blend (iii).

51. The composition of claim 48, wherein the polymeric material is the blend (iii).

52. The composition of claim 28, wherein said composition includes a crosslinker in an amount of up to 2% based on the total composition.

53. The composition of claim 46, wherein said composition includes a crosslinker in an amount of up to 2% based on the total composition.

54. Insulated conductor in which the insulation comprises the composition of claim 28 or 46.

55. Insulated conductor in which the insulation comprises the composition of claim 52 or 53, which composition has been crosslinked by irradiation after extrusion of said composition about the wire.

56. Cable comprising: (a) at least two conductors; (b) the insulation composition of claim 28 about said conductors;
(c) a barrier wrap selected from the group consisting essentially of a woven glass fabric impregnated with polytetrafluoroethylene and a polyester material; and (d) a jacket comprising an extruded polymeric material.

57. Cable comprising: (a) at least two conductors; (b) the insulation composition of claim 46 about said conductors;
(c) a barrier wrap selected from the group consisting essentially of a woven glass fabric impregnated with polytetrafluoroethylene and a polyester material; and (d) a jacket comprising an extruded polymeric material.

58. Cable of claim 56 or 57, wherein the barrier wrap is a woven glass fabric impregnated with polytetrafluoroethylene.

59. Cable of claim 56 or 57, wherein the jacket comprises polyvinylidene fluoride.

60. Cable of claim 56 or 57, wherein the jacket comprises the composition of claim 28.