1) Mineral insulated cables are an alternative to standard fire-resistant cables as they are completely uncombustible, extremely robust, and can survive fires rather than just maintain functionality for a limited time. 2) Current fire safety standards have gaps as they do not accurately simulate real fire conditions or account for how the rising temperature affects copper's resistivity under fire. 3) As copper's resistivity increases five times under fire temperatures, the cable temperature rise at full load would be dangerously high, potentially melting the copper, regardless of the length exposed to the fire. All fire standards would need to be upgraded to account for this.

1. Whichcableisreallyfireresistant?Stefan FassbinderDeutsches KupferinstitutAm Bonneshof 5D-40474 DüsseldorfTel.: +49 211 4796-323Fax: +49 211 4796-310sfassbinder@kupferinstitut.destf@eurocopper.orgwww.kupferinstitut.dewww.leonardo-energy.org

2. The German Copper Institute, DKI, is the central information and advisory service dealing with all uses of copper and copper alloys.We offer our services to:Commercial companies

3. The skilled trades

4. Industry

5. R & D institutes

6. Universities

7. Artists and craftsmen

8. Students

9. Private individualsWe can be contacted by: post

10. phone

11. fax

12. e-mail

13. internet

14. online database, or

15. personallyAreas withspecialsafetyrequirements also requirea special electrical installationThisincludesthecablesused, whichhavetocomplywithspecifictestsandstandards:Fireretardantinsulants,

16. Limited fuelenergy per unitbuildingspace,

17. Low fumes / lowtoxicity (nohalogens),

18. andpriorto all sustainedfunctionalityfor a definedperiod of timeso thataccidentslikethefire at Düsseldorf Airport on 11 April 1996 that left 17 people dead shall have the minimum possible impact – if they cannot be totally avoided.

19. Therearetwogaps in thestandards:Whichreallyarethefireconditions, andhowrealisticarethedefinedtestmethodstosimulatethese?

20. Whatabouttheresistivity of copper underfiretemperature?Problem No. 1:»They all do burn«,fireprotectionexpertssay.Cablesandleads »withimprovedpropertiesunderfireconditions« areonly »somewhat« betterthanordinary PVC cables.But theyaremanytimesmore expensive thanordinary PVC cables!

21. Mineral insulatedcablescouldbe an alternative!Theyconsistexclusively of metals and mineralsCopper conductor,meltingpoint:1083°CMagnesia oxide,meltingpoint:2800°COuter copper sheath,meltingpoint:1083°C

22. Mineral insulatedcablescouldbe an alternative!They are absolutelyuncombustible,

23. they are extremelysturdy and robust,