Manufacture
Heat-shrink tubing is manufactured from a thermoplastic material such as polyolefin, fluoropolymer (such as FEP, PTFE or Kynar), PVC, neoprene, silicone elastomer or Viton.
Depending on the material used, there are two ways that heat shrink may work. If the material contains many monomers, the monomers polymerise when the tubing is heated. This increases the density of the material as the monomers become bonded together, therefore taking up less space. Accordingly, the volume of the material shrinks.
Heat shrink can also be expansion-based. This process involves producing normal tubing, then heating it to just above the polymer's crystalline melting point and mechanically stretching the tubing (often by inflating it with a gas); finally, it is rapidly cooled. Later, when heated, the tubing relaxes back to its un-expanded size.
The material is often cross-linked through the use of electron beams, peroxides, or moisture. This cross-linking helps the tubing to maintain its shape, both before and after shrinking.
For external use, heat shrink tubing often has a UV stabiliser added.
Read more about this topic: Heat-shrink Tubing
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