Chemicals specialist Borealis (Vienna / Austria; www.borealisgroup.com) and its joint venture operation Borouge (Abu Dhabi / United Arab Emirates; www.borouge.com) have launched the first material solution free of azodicarbonamide (ADCA) for use as a blowing agent in foamed communication cables.

The ADCA-free grade “HE4883” is a polyethylene that was developed in partnership with Brand-Rex (Glenrothes / UK; www.brand-rex.co.uk), a leading developer of cabling solutions for network infrastructure and industrial applications. Global data centre IP traffic is expected to triple in the next five years, and Borealis said HE4883 would become the material of choice for next-generation, higher category communication cables. Concurrently, the European Chemical Agency (ECHA) has classified ADCA as a "substance of very high concern" due to its effect on the respiratory system.

Bart Verheule, Borealis’ head of marketing energy, said: “By offering an ADCA-free material we are helping our customers become more efficient and reliable. Thus they can respond better to the challenges and opportunities the digital revolution brings.”