Materials
Different applications require different materials:
- PTFE (fluoropolymer) tubes have a wide operating temperature range (-55 to 175 °C), a low coefficient of friction, and high resistance to chemicals and punctures.
- Viton, another fluoropolymer with high chemical resistance, is widely used in hydraulic equipment. It is highly flexible, with a very wide operating temperature range of -55 to 220 °C, making it suitable for protecting sensitive devices against heat.
- Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) tubes are intended for high temperature applications.
- Fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) is a lower-cost alternative to PTFE.
- Elastomeric tubes maintain high flexibility even at low temperatures and meet stringent international specifications. Their operating temperature range is -75 to 150°C. The material is resistant to many chemicals (including diesel and petrol) and has good resistance to abrasion, even in severe environmental conditions. A common shrink ratio is 2:1.
- Silicone rubber offers excellent resistance to scrape abrasion and high flexibility.
- Polyolefin tubes, the most common kind, have maximum continuous-use temperatures from -55 to 135 °C, and are used by the military, aerospace and railway industries. They are flexible and fast-shrinking, and manufactured in a wide range of colors (including clear), which can be used for color-coding wires. With the exception of black, they tend to have lower resistance to ultraviolet light; accordingly, only black is recommended for outdoor applications. A common shrink ratio is 2:1, but high-grade polyolefin heat shrink is also available with a 3:1 ratio.
- PVC tubes are available in several colors and can be used outdoors.
Other special materials exist, offering qualities such as resistance to diesel and aviation fuels, and there is also woven fabric, providing increased abrasion resistance in harsh environments.
Read more about this topic: Heat-shrink Tubing
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—W.H. (Wystan Hugh)