SGcables.com! All cables in one place !

  • +65 69149030
  • sales@sgcables.com
  • 2 Venture Drive, #24-01 Vision Exchange, Singapore, 608526
Facebook Youtube Linkedin

IEC 60754 (Halogen-free)

IEC 60754 (Halogen-free)

IEC 60754 — proving a cable is truly “halogen-free”

When halogen-containing polymers (PVC, CPE, PTFE) burn they release hydrogen chloride, bromide and fluoride that corrode steel, destroy electronics and endanger people’s lungs.  IEC 60754, Test on gases evolved during combustion of materials from cables, tells laboratories exactly how to measure those acidic gases, so buyers can enforce “low-smoke zero-halogen” (LSZH) claims instead of just trusting a catalogue line. iTeh Standards

IEC 60754

1. Scope and document map
Part Latest consolidated edition What it measures Typical purpose
60754-1 2011 + AMD1:2019 CSV Total halogen acid gas content (mg HCl-equivalent
per g of material) 		Raw-material screening, cable component approval
iTeh Standards
60754-2 2011 + AMD1:2019 CSV Acidity (pH) and conductivity of the aqueous
solution that absorbs the combustion gases 		Pass/fail criteria used on finished LSZH
cables (pH ≥ 4.3, σ ≤ 10 µS mm-¹)
iTeh Standardsproducts.lappgroup.com
60754-3 2018 Low-level halogen content by ion-chromatography
(Cl, Br, F, I down to ≈ 1 mg/g) 		High-accuracy check for premium “HF”
materials or where fluoropolymers are suspected
iTeh StandardsiTeh Standards

All three parts use the same vertical quartz tube furnace to burn a 1 g sample at 800 ± 10 °C; the evolving gases are swept by air or nitrogen into 300 ml of de-ionised water for analysis. 

2. Why 60754 underpins every LSZH spec

IEC 60502 adopts the familiar U<sub>0</sub>/U (Um) format:

  • Life-safety – HCl at 500 ppm can incapacitate evacuees; 60754 gives designers a hard limit on acid release.
  • Asset protection – Control rooms filled with copper busbars and server blades corrode within hours if exposed to acidic fire gases.
  • Regulatory compliance – Euroclass B2ca and EN 45545 rail grades all call up 60754-2 numbers; UL 2885 cross-references its Annex A for “halogen-free” verification.

3. Inside the test
Step 60754-1 (acid mass) 60754-2 (pH / σ) 60754-3 (ion-chromatography)
Combustion Heat to 800 °C for 20 min; weigh residue to calculate
mg acid/g sample 		Identical Identical
Absorption 300 ml water; titrate with 0.1 mol NaOH to
pH 4 → convert to HCl eq. 		Measure pH & conductivity directly Same solution retained
Reporting mg HCl-eq / g (HF excluded) pH (≥ 4.3) & σ (≤ 10 µS mm-¹) mg Cl, Br, F, I / g via IC, LOD ≈ 1 mg kg-¹

Note: 60754-1 cannot quantify hydrofluoric acid accurately below 5 mg g-¹, which is why 60754-3 exists for critical optical-fibre or aircraft-wire applications. 

4. Interpretation of results
Halogen-free cable (marketing sense)
  • Total halogen acid ≤ 5 mg g-¹ (Part 1)
  • pH ≥ 4.3 and σ ≤ 10 µS mm-¹ (Part 2) These limits line up with the German DIN VDE and LAPP catalogue definition of “halogenfrei”.
Low-halogen cable
  • Often agreed at ≤ 15 mg g-¹ plus pH ≥ 3.5; check contract spec.
PVC or CPE cable
  • Typically 150–350 mg g-¹ and pH ≤ 1.5 – an order of magnitude harsher.

5. Interaction with other fire standards
Question Standard involved Relationship
“Will the cable propagate flame?” IEC 60332 60332 tests flame spread; 60754 says how corrosive the smoke will be.
“How much smoke or heat is produced?” IEC 61034, EN 50399 (cone calorimeter) Combine with 60754 to satisfy EU CPR Euroclasses B2ca-s1a,d1,a1.
“Is the cable still live during fire?” IEC 60331, BS 6387 Circuit-integrity cables (BFOU, FP600S) must meet 60754 if marketed
as LSZH.

6. Materials science: how compounds meet 60754
Halogen-free jackets are polyolefins filled with >60 % aluminium or magnesium hydroxide.  At ≈ 200 °C the filler releases water, diluting flame and producing only trace chloride. Cross-linking (XLPO) or adding siloxane compatibiliser raises mechanical strength that high filler load would otherwise drop.
Designers track two levers:
  • Filler purity – chlorides in ATH impurities can push halogen result > 5 mg g-¹.
  • Catalyst residues – Sn, Zn chlorides from polymerisation must stay below 50 ppm.

Well-formulated HFFR compounds routinely hit < 2 mg g-¹ acid, pH ≈ 6.5, σ ≈ 1 µS mm-¹—beating the 60754 lines with margin.

7. Specifier’s quick checklist
  • Quote the part & edition – e.g. “Comply with IEC 60754-2:2011 + AMD1:2019, pH ≥ 4.3, conductivity ≤ 10 µS mm-¹.”
  • Define the test piece – sheath only, full cable, or worst-case combination.
  • Request accredited lab report – ISO 17025 scope must list IEC 60754.
  • Pair with flame & smoke clauses – 60332-3 Cat C or better, IEC 61034 ≥ 60 % LT.
  • Ask for batch data – large projects now log pH & σ per reel QR code for traceability.

7. Industry adoption snapshots
Sector Typical requirement Reason
Data centres 60754-2 + Euroclass B2ca-s1a,d1,a1 Protect copper & servers from acid vapour during fire.
Rail rolling-stock (EN 45545-2 HL3) 60754-2 pH ≥ 4.3; σ ≤ 10 µS mm-¹ Passenger evacuation routes in tunnels.
Offshore rigs (NEK 606 SHF2) Must pass 60754-2 and 60332-3 Cat A Halogen-free smoke crucial for electronic ~survival in enclosed modules.

9. Emerging developments (2025-2028)
  • Combined pH + σ sensor rigs – work is underway in IEC TC20 WG 10 to allow real-time capture instead of post-burn titration, saving 30 min per test.
  • Eco-design annex (draft) – new informative Annex E may let suppliers declare recycled-content HFFR formulations while still referencing 60754 results.
  • H₂ fire chemistry – green-fuel facilities using hydrogen expect an addendum clarifying if water-rich flames skew absorption results.

10 Key take-aways
  • IEC 60754 does not judge flame spread or smoke density—it quantifies how corrosive the smoke is.
  • To claim “LSZH” you need a dual pass: halogen acid mass (Part 1 ≤ 5 mg g-¹) and acidity/conductivity (Part 2 pH ≥ 4.3, σ ≤ 10 µS mm-¹).
  • Part 3’s ion-chromatography method offers a high-precision option for critical aerospace, semiconductor fab and clean-room cables.
  • Always state the edition year and limits on drawings; earlier 1994 editions had looser setups and are no longer accepted by CPR or DNV.
  • Pair 60754 with IEC 60332 and IEC 61034 (or EN 50399 for EU CPR) to build a complete fire-performance specification.

Conclusion

Designers, QA managers and procurement teams who understand IEC 60754 can separate marketing hype from proven halogen-free performance—and ensure that when a fire does break out, the smoke is far less toxic and the post-incident cleanup does not involve replacing every corroded relay, server or busbar in the building.