Experimental Study on Delaying the Failure Time of In-Service Cables in Trays by Using Fire-Retardant Coatings

Abstract

Improving the fire resistance of the key cables connected to firefighting and safety equipment is of great importance. Based on the engineering practice of an oil storage company, this study proposes a modification scheme that entails spraying fire-retardant coatings on the outer surface of a cable tray to delay the failure times of the cables in the tray. To verify the effect, 12 specimens were processed using five kinds of fire-retardant coatings and two kinds of fire-resistant cotton to coat the cable tray. The specimens were installed in the vertical fire resistance test furnace. For the ISO 834 standard fire condition, a fire resistance test was carried out on the specimens. The data for the surface temperature and the insulation resistance of the cables in trays were collected, and the fireproof effect was analyzed. The results showed that compared with the control group, the failure time of the cable could be delayed by 1.57–14.86 times, and the thicker the fire-retardant coatings were, the better the fireproof effect was. In general, the fire protection effect of the fire-retardant coating was better than that of the fire-resistant cotton.