Halogen free flame retardant thermoplastic elastomer compositions having improved insulation resistance

A wire or cable comprising a coating made of a flame retardant polymer composition, wherein the flame retardant polymer composition consists of:

• a. one or more copolyetherester thermoplastic elastomers;
• b. an amount of melamine cyanurate that is at least 10 weight percent based on the total weight of the flame retardant polymer composition;
• c. one or more epoxy-containing compounds;
• and optionally
• d. 0 to 2 weight percent based of the total weight of the flame retardant polymer composition of phosphite,
• e. 0 to 15 weight percent based on the total weight of the flame retardant polymer composition of an aromatic phosphate ester flame retardant, with the proviso that i) when the flame retardant polymer composition comprises an aromatic phosphate ester flame retardant and a phosphite, the amount of epoxy-containing compound present is such that the total epoxy functional group equivalent weight is at least about 32 milliequivalents per kg of the combined weight of the one or more copolyetherester thermoplastic elastomers and the aromatic phosphate ester flame retardant and ii) when the flame retardant polymer composition comprises an aromatic phosphate ester flame retardant in the absence of phosphite, the amount of epoxy-containing compound present is such that the total epoxy functional group equivalent weight is at least about 56 milliequivalents per kg of the combined weight of the one or more copolyetherester thermoplastic elastomers and the aromatic phosphate ester flame retardant, and
• f. from 0.05 to 10 weight percent based on the total weight of the flame retardant polymer composition of additives
• wherein the sum of component a) to f) amounts to 100 weight percent,
• wherein the additives are selected from the group consisting of stabilizers, processing agents, metal deactivators, antioxidants, UV stabilizers, heat stabilizers, dyes and/or pigments.

A wire or cable comprising a coating made of a flame retardant polymer composition, wherein the flame retardant polymer composition comprises:

• a) one or more copolyetherester thermoplastic elastomers;
• b) melamine cyanurate;
• c) at least one epoxy-containing compound;
• and
• d) optionally at least one compound selected from the group consisting of phosphites and aromatic phosphate ester flame retardants and mixtures thereof;
• with the proviso that i) when the flame retardant polymer composition comprises an aromatic phosphate ester flame retardant and a phosphite, the amount of epoxy-containing compound present is such that the total epoxy functional group equivalent weight is at least about 32 milliequivalents per kg of the combined weight of the one or more copolyetherester thermoplastic elastomers and the aromatic phosphate ester flame retardant and ii) when the flame retardant polymer composition comprises an aromatic phosphate ester flame retardant in the absence of phosphite, the amount of epoxy-containing compound present is such that the total epoxy functional group equivalent weight is at least about 56 milliequivalents per kg of the combined weight of the one or more copolyetherester thermoplastic elastomers and the aromatic phosphate ester flame retardant,
• wherein the amount of epoxy-containing compound c) is such that it provides from at or about 2.4 to about 10 milliequivalents of total epoxy functionality based on hundred grams of the total weight of the flame retardant polymer composition.