Electrical installation is one of key components of Buildings in our time, for that reason
electrical conductors are often involved in accidents – house or other fires. Burning of
different materials during the course of fire, usually creates unique circumstances. Due to
complicated setting of the scene which makes use of standardized tests impossible, we are left
with seemingly impossible question. What was the cause of the fire – was electrical conductor
(or any other element of electrical installation) at fault or just another ¨victim¨. And yet we
still wonder, is it even possible to determinate the cause?
Even with modern self-extinguishing and flame-resistant materials, electrical conductors can
(in the right conditions) still ignite the fire. Mostly it is due to unprotected wires under voltage
which can present a powerful heat source that ignites objects and materials in near vicinity.
Fires caused by electrical conductors are often traced back to damaged protective layer. For
better understanding of changes in electrical conductors, we compared conductor samples
from fires and those damaged in laboratory. With the help of modern technology and it's
power of precision while analyzing chemical components and structure of materials I'm going
to try and answer the following questions: why do electrical conductors involved in fire get
fragile and what is happening on damaged contacts.
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