Electrical cable apparatus having improved flame retardancy and method for making

Embodiments of the invention include an electrical cable apparatus. The electrical cable (50) comprises a plurality of paired conductive elements (24) such as twisted pairs of individually insulated copper wire, a flame retardant yarn layer (54) formed or wrapped helically around the conductor pairs or groups of conductor pairs, and a dielectric jacket (32) formed around the conductive pairs and the yarn layer(s). The yarn layer is formed or wrapped around individual conductor pairs or, alternatively, around groups of conductor pairs. The yarn layer is made of, for example, glass yarn, non-woven glass yarn tape, polyimides such as Kapton TM tape, polyaramid yarns such as Kevlar TM and Nomex TM , or other suitable flame retardant materials and/or material combinations. During burn conditions, the flame retardant yarn layer wicks melted insulation from the individual insulated conductor pair elements to reduce the likelihood of melted insulation pooling in the cable and breaching the dielectric jacket of the cable. Also, various yarn layer arrangements maintain separation of the conductor pairs within the cable for reduced crosstalk.