• • • CABLING & CABLE MANAGEMENT • • •
While 304L offers good corrosion resistance for most applications you will need 316L stainless steel if chlorides are present. The most obvious example is in coastal environments where there is a high salinity or “salty” atmosphere.
Different options
There are of course more material options than outlined in this article. A good example is a new finish called Magnelis. This offers better corrosive resistance than galvanised options, it is self- healing for cut edge protection and it is more cost effective. It is certainly something that you should be aware of.
PVC is another potential solution for some damp and corrosive environments. While it has excellent resistance to some chemical agents it is not something you should use for high UV areas, for some chemical environments and is not as strong as steel or GRP.
GRP – a tough answer As we’ve already seen when there is a really corrosive environment, a lot of people instinctively think about stainless steel. But GRP, or glass reinforced fibre is often a better choice. It is lighter, easier to cut and generally does not need earthing. It also offers great protection against electromagnetic interference or EMI. Just like stainless steel its mechanical properties can vary widely depending on the matrix fibre combination, fillers, veils, reinforcement design and how it is manufactured. Pultrusion manufacturing produces GRP with a high structural strength. Using a Isophthalic polyester gives the material better corrosion and fire performance. It is suitable for indoor and outdoor applications.
Depending on what environment you are faced with there are four different GRP resin types.
First, polyester type 2 is good for general applications. It is corrosion and UV resistant and is suitable for industries using heavy chemical and caustic materials. Polyester type 1 has better fire retardance making it suitable for rail and other applications needing UL94 compliance and 5VA classification. Next is polyester type 1 carbon loaded. This material has antistatic materials because it contains carbon powder, which does mean that unlike other GRP it needs grounding. You would specify this for on shore and offshore oil and gas applications or other explosive environments. And finally there is a modified acrylic version. This is not a polyester but an acrylic based material making it a great choice for any
underground or tunnel applications since it meets the BS6853 smoke emissions standard and BS476- 6 Fire Test Compliance.
As you can see there is a huge range of different materials available for cable management systems and for a long lasting and safe solution it is important to get the specification right. Often there is more than one solution and which you specify may not only depend on the corrosivity that the system faces but other factors. Remember that if you are in doubt, you can always phone the manufacturer to ask for their advice, especially if they offer a wide range of different materials. This article is based on a CPD seminar run by the Hudson Group called Selecting the correct environmental material.
electricalengineeringmagazine.co.uk
ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING • SEPTEMBER 2023 13
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