Studies on the flame and radiation resistant modification of wires and cables for nuclear power generation plants

For the use in the light-water nuclear power generation plants, wires and cables are required to keep high flame retardancy and superior resistivity against heat and radiation throughout the whole period of service. They are expected, further, to fulfill their functions even under LOCA conditions. The present work aimed to provide new technology to give flame and radiation resistancy to insulating materials for the cables which are used under the above requirements. For the improvement of flame retardancy and the elongation of life time, polymerizable flame retardants were examined their applicability to ethylene-propylene-diene rubber. Various polymerizable flame retardants were first synthesized, and their performance was analyzed, especially, as to the relationship between molecular structure and their effectiveness. As a guiding principle for developing of a high performance flame and radiation resistant reagent, it was suggested that the back born of the reagent molecule should be constructed by carbon-carbon bond including fused aromatic rings and groups which can undergo polymerization by radical initiators. After careful consideration and detailed experimental work, condensed bromoacenaphthylene (con-BACN) was shown to have an effectiveness enough for the present purpose. Its satisfactory performance was also shown by making cables of a practical size using con-BACN, and by carrying out various performance tests based substantially on IEEE standards. (author)