Environmentally Insensitive Active Decluttering

The combustible nature of polymeric cabling jacket materials usedaboard U.S. Naval ships is a critical issue for personnel safety.This cable jacket is the material that forms a protective layeraround a bundle of fibers, buffered fibers, ribbons or OFCC's.Current shipboard cable jackets are formulated with hydratedmetal oxide flame retardant (FR) additives in order to meet theNavy's requirement for non-halogenated compounds. Use of metaloxide FR additives results in jacket materials that meet Navalrequirements, however, these same formulations do not meetcommercial plenum requirements. A new dual use cable will allowthe Navy to procure cables from a larger base of suppliers. Inturn, this will foster a more competitive atmosphere foracquisitions resulting in cost savings for the Navy. Phase IIwork will be a continuation of the Phase I where the feasibilityof increasing polymer flammability resistance via a combinedapproach using nanocomposites and conventional non-halogentaed FRadditives was demonstrated. This will include optimization ofcable jacket compounds that will meet both MIL-PRF-85045F and UL910 flammability standards. Commercial transition of the productwill involve full-scale compounding of the jacket materials andcomplete cable fabrication by Chromatic Technologies, Inc. duringPhase II.