Materials For Safety: Fireproof Cable

Series

Series Name: Living Tomorrow

Issue

Issue No.

239

Date Released

1979

Length of issue (in feet)

522

Stories in this Issue:

Story

Story No. within this Issue

2 / 3

Summary

COI synopsis: New materials are developed for strength, for lightness, for cheapness or to improve industrial processes. But some materials, as we discover this week, are developed purely to increase safety. In a nuclear power station a fire could be a major hazard. Numerous safety mechanisms and alarms depend on electrical cables which, in the last resort, must be able to withstand the flames themselves. A new completely flexible cable is sheathed with a silicone rubber. If fire broke out, this rubber would burn to form silica - a good electrical insulator which can withstand furnace-like temperatures.

Keywords

Fires; Science and technology; Safety devices; Nuclear energy; Design

Written sources

COI Microfilm Roll 55 [BFI National Archive] Used for synopsis

COI Reference

MI 1458/239

Credits:

Cutter: Allen Bowry
Sponsor: Central Office of Information (COI)
Sponsor: Foreign & Commonwealth Office
Cutter: Ian Lake
Cutter: Laurence Williamson

This series is held by:

Film Archive

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Record Stats