Heat shrink tubing has gradually replaced the original insulation protection measures and is widely used, mainly due to its advantages of simple and convenient use. However, there is also a lot of knowledge about the mysteries involved. There are many types of material classifications, and today we will provide an in-depth interpretation of their materials.
Heat shrink tubing material:
Common materials include PVC (polyvinyl chloride), PE (polyethylene), PVDF (polyvinylidene fluoride), PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene), fluororubber, EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer), and FEP (polytetrafluoroethylene), which are commonly used in military standard products. Silicone rubber can be used in food and medical applications.
Material characteristics:
1. PVC (polyvinyl chloride) material is commonly used to make PVC heat shrink pipes, and its products have a thinner wall thickness, making them one of the cheapest heat shrink pipes. Commonly used for insulation protection of batteries and packaging of mop poles, the product has a variety of colors and is relatively shiny.
2. PE (polyethylene) heat shrink tubing is currently the most widely used and widely used product, due to its good insulation and wear resistance, it can manufacture a wide range of products. Representative products include: single wall heat shrink tubing and high-pressure busbar heat shrink tubing. After secondary development, improvements were made to the original process by adding a layer of hot melt adhesive to the inner wall. The new product, a double wall adhesive heat shrink tube, was launched because the hot melt adhesive on the inner wall blocks the entry of air and moisture when it melts, and is also known as a waterproof heat shrink tube. With the progress and development of industry, the demand for performance has increased, and the wall thickness and adhesive layer have been added to the original foundation, evolving into the commonly used cable heat shrink tubing. PE material is widely used and accounts for the largest proportion in both the electronics and power industries. Can produce products in various colors such as red, yellow, green, blue, black, white, transparent, etc., with a relatively dull luster (matte).
3. Heat shrink tubing made of PVDF (polyvinylidene fluoride) can have high temperature resistance and can withstand some solvents and oils. The temperature resistance level is divided into two types: 150 ℃ and 175 ℃. 150 ℃ is the soft type, and 175 ℃ is the semi hard type. The usage environment can also be divided into two types: industrial industry and medical industry. The standard products are black and transparent, with black having good glossiness. Transparent products are specially prepared and do not turn yellow during use.
Industrial industry: Especially suitable for environments that require high temperature resistance, solvent resistance, and high wear resistance.
Medical industry: prepared using medical grade fluorinated polymers and passed ISO10993 medical biocompatibility testing.
4. PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene), also known as PTFE in Chinese, is used to prepare heat shrink tubing, also known as PTFE heat shrink tubing, commonly known as plastic king resin. It has high temperature resistance of 260 ℃, resistance to most chemical solvents, and high wear and mechanical strength. The standard product of Teflon heat shrink tubing is generally only transparent, because of the special nature of the material, the products produced have a certain degree of whitening and are not completely transparent.
5. The heat shrink tubing made of fluororubber also has high temperature resistance, with a low temperature resistance of -65 ℃ and no brittle cracking under low temperature conditions. It has excellent oil resistance and chemical corrosion resistance, which can provide protection for wire harnesses and cables in oil or high-temperature environments. The finished product only has a black color and appears to have a layer of oil on the surface. It feels like an eraser and has a certain stickiness.
6. EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber) is processed through a special process, with good physical and mechanical properties and excellent wear resistance. It is mainly used for insulation protection of electronic components in cable harnesses, and is soft, elastic, and has a good grip. It is widely used in electronics, automotive, decoration, and lighting engineering. It can work for a long time at a temperature of 150 ℃, and can also be used for a short period of time or intermittently at a temperature of 180-200 ℃. The standard color is black.
7. The main outstanding performance of FEP (polytetrafluoroethylene) is its excellent transparency, which can continue to work under high temperature resistance of 200 ℃. Can perfectly solve places that require high temperature resistance, corrosion resistance, and high transparency.
8. Silicone heat shrink tubing is prepared by blending silicone rubber, and its products are divided into flame retardant and non flame retardant types. Silicone heat shrink tubing is commonly used in medical equipment, household appliances, aerospace, military, automotive, electronic components, transformers, generators and other fields that have certain requirements for product flexibility and temperature resistance, providing insulation protection for wires and cables. Capable of withstanding high temperatures of 200 ℃, with standard colors mainly iron red and gray.
The above is an overview of the latest materials for heat shrink tubing and the differences between various materials, as well as how to choose suitable heat shrink materials in future projects to achieve the effect of protecting products.