Fluoropolymer heat shrink tubing enjoys unique properties, including high resistance to temperature, chemicals and electricity, and low friction and non-toxic features. These unique properties make PTFE, FEP and PFA heat shrink ideal for covering and encapsulating components, such as roller coatings, temperature sensors and medical devices.

The unique properties of fluoroplastic heat shrink

Fluoroplastics are a group of high-performance plastics which thanks to their molecular build, enjoy exceptional properties. While a plastic molecule contains a carbon chain with hydrogen atoms attached, in a fluoroplastic molecule, the hydrogen atoms are replaced with fluorine atoms. This dramatically changes their properties and transforms them into the Hercules of plastics.

PTFE, FEP and PFA heat shrink enjoy the following unique properties:

• Virtual total chemical and solvent resistance

• Working temperature from -200°C to +260°C

• Remains flexible at cryogenic temperatures

• Very low coefficient of friction

• Non-stick surface

• Extremely high electrical resistance

• Very low dielectric loss at high frequencies

• Total resistance to UV radiation

• Non-inflammable

• Non-toxic

Fluoropolymer heat shrink applications

Thanks to their unique properties, fluoroplastics are highly desirable materials in a wide range of industries, such as the mechanical, electrical and medical, and are used to create a myriad of specialist equipment and components.

Use of heat shrink in mechanical applications

Fluoroplastic heat shrink sleeving is a very effective material to cover and encapsulate devices to make them non-stick and electrically inert. As these materials can withstand high temperatures, chemicals, solvents and UV light, they are ideally suited for use in harsh environments, such as the encapsulation of temperature sensors, battery pack assemblies, roller coverings, automotive components and shatterproof lamps.

Electrical heat shrink applications

Due to the excellent dielectric properties, PTFE and FEP heat shrinkable sleeves find many applications in electric and electronic engineering. These include insulating wires and connections in hot environments, such as toasters, kettles and soldering irons, and providing abrasion resistance and environmental protection for certain wire joints, conductors, connectors and terminals.

Heat shrink tubing used in medical equipment

Inert, non-toxic, and bio-compatible are properties sought after by medical device manufacturers. Being non-stick, fluoropolymer heat shrink tubing also offers low co-efficient friction, meaning that coated parts can easily slide inside other parts – this is perfect for intricate medical assemblies.

Fluoroplastic heat shrink sleeving range

We offer the choice of PTFE, FEP and PFA heat shrinkable tubing, which all have their own special properties in both shrinking characteristics and working performance. Our heat shrink sleeving is available in a variety of standard sizes and in 14 different colours. However, we appreciate that every customer's application is unique, so we also produce a custom size heat shrink sleeve to order.

PTFE heat shrink tubing

PTFE heat shrink can withstand extraordinarily low and high temperatures, from -200°C to 260°C, but remarkably, also remains intact at 300°C and is not damaged even by short bursts of exposure to up to 400°C, meaning that it can provide excellent performance in almost any heated environment.

FEP heat shrink sleeving

By contrast, FEP heat shrink tubing functions well from -200°C to 200°C but offers a lower shrink temperature of just 110°C, meaning that it can be safely shrunk over a vast array of materials that are not able to withstand high temperatures. What’s more, FEP heat shrink can be supplied with a closed end for encapsulation applications.

PFA heat shrink tubing

While also having a similarly low shrink temperature to FEP, PFA heat shrink is unique in that it functions up to a temperature of 260°C with natural electrical resistance, a non-stick nature, total UV resistance. It is also transparent.

Heat shrink specialist products

Heat shrink doesn’t stop there! In addition to PTFE, FEP and PFA heat shrink, we also offer fluoroplastic specialist products, which are similarly effective for specialist applications:

• Geo-Shrink® heat shrink sleeving

• Dual-wall PTFE/FEP heat shrink tubing

• Polyolefin heat shrink sleeving

• Non-stick FEP & PFA roll covers

• Coated probe covers

• Shatterproof lamp coatings

Here at Adtech, we are specialists in delivering innovative fluoropolymer solutions for your technical applications. Find out more about Fluoroplastic Heat Shrink Sleeving.

Related News Articles