InfoPower

Polymer pioneers in the 1960s and 1970s experimented with multiple thermoplastics to create a low-smoke and zero-halogen (LSZH) cable for the wire and cable industry. Despite achieving low-smoke low-halogen (LSLH) cable, the work of these scientists and engineers was not in vain—in 1979, Richard Skipper of the Raychem Corporation in Menlo Park, California, developed a thermoplastic infused with aluminum trihydrate to create the first LSZH thermoplastic. Aluminum trihydrate [Al(OH)₃] is a white, odorless powder derived from bauxite and commonly used as a flame retardant. The new patent greatly minimized flames and smoke when subjected to intense heat. According to the universal Harmonized Wire Coding System (a one-page download available at the end of this article), the alpha-numeric code of H05BQ-F lets users know the cable is LSZH because of its specific jacket and insulation compositions, as well as its fine-wire flexibility. This cable is further described in paragraph four.

Interpower North American and international cable is manufactured in the U.S.A. at its Lamoni, Iowa, facility. So how is Interpower durable and reliable cable manufactured?

For electrical or electronic products that use cable, the end destination of the product will determine the type of cable that will need to be used. The end destination will also determine which safety agency should be contacted to obtain approvals on the cable.