Protect Low and High Voltage Wiring with Electrical Insulation Sleeving
Low and high voltage wires require specialized types of protection because of the settings where they exist and how they function. While low voltage wires tend to be situated in everyday environments — such as within homes, offices, outdoors and in some automotive applications — high voltage wiring is used for electrical power transmission at extraordinarily high voltages. Both types of wiring can use and benefit from protection that the Electrical Insulation sleeving category from Techflex? offers.
Electrical Insulation sleeves differ in their construction and materials to assist in maintaining dielectric strength in a range of applications, while protecting vital wiring. Among materials used in the sleeving are fiberglass, flexible acrylic resin, vinyl and silicone.
Fiberglass is the base material used in Electrical Insulation sleeves, with fiberglass cloth first patented in 1880 by Prussian-American inventor Hermann Hammesfahr, who blended glass into silk to create a flame-retardant component. Fiberglass was first mass produced and marketed in 1932 when American inventor Games Slayter created “glass wool” with fellow researchers Dale Kleist and Jack Thomas, by aiming compressed air at molten glass. In 1933 with Owens-Illinois and Owens-Corning, the trio created what they first named Fiberglas?, an invention unveiled at the 1939 World’s Fair in products such as appliance insulation, drapes, upholstery and shower curtains. Their technology was applied to home insulation and into the construction of boats and aircraft.
Acrylic resin is another material that is a thermoplastic used as a coating for this type of sleeving. Acrylic resins have a lacquer-like consistency that comes from acrylic and methacrylic acids and acrylate monomers. The term acrylic was first recognized in 1843, with Otto R?hm of Rohm and Haas credited in 1934 with inventing acrylic resin and paint.
Acrylic Flex Glass? sleeving, which comes in Grade A and C is fiberglass braided and then coated with a dielectric flexible acrylic resin. Used as lead/crossover protection in motors, on transformers and on radio circuits, it can withstand temperatures between -13°F and 311°F. It is useful in demanding settings such as lighting applications and is resistant to cuts, abrasion, solvents and acids.
Vinyl coating is applied as well to some types of this sleeving, with vinyl a polymer known as polyvinyl chloride or PVC. First discovered in Germany in 1872, during the 20th century it was continually refined. B.F. Goodrich Company developed it with other additives between 1926 and 1933, with it used as a covering for electrical wires, in construction and for other applications.
Vinyl Flex Glass? also comes in Grade A and C and is a sleeving that is fiberglass braided and heat-treated, then coated with a bonded and plasticized polyvinylchloride film. With abilities to maintain operations at 266°F, stay flexible in lower temperatures, withstand mechanical stress and hold dielectric strength around bends, Vinyl Flex Glass? provides supplemental insulation in motor, resistor, generator and transformer leads. This type of sleeving is helpful in television, radio and other electrical applications, where circuits can be pushed back if soldering is needed. It is highly resistant to acids, solvents, abrasion and cut-through resistance.
Silicone is another material that coats Electrical Insulation sleeving, which derives from a brittle crystalline and one of the world’s most plentiful elements, Silicon. Swedish researcher J?ns Jacob Berzelius discovered and isolated it in 1824, transforming it into a powder that was added to rubber, paint, resins and other materials.
There are a few varieties of Silicone Flex Glass? in the Electrical Insulation category, including Grade A and C, that are made of insulating fiberglass with a silicone rubber coating. It is suited for power supply wiring, motor coil leads, component isolation and transformer lead protection. It has a Class H rating at 392°F and is able to endure a temperature range from -103°F and 428°F. It shows no discernible effects when exposed up to 10 megarads of radiation. It additionally has a high-tear strength, resistance to fatigue, slight expandability which assists in installation and an excellent flex life.
The flame-retardant Silicone Flex Glass? sleeves are denoted by “FR,” with both Grade A and C types. This remarkably flexible and expandable sleeving is coated with a flame retardant elastomeric silicone rubber sheath and has a Class H rating at 392°F. It is used in wire harnesses, power supplies, heater leads, motor coil leads, appliance assemblies and transformer leads. The flame-retardant variety maintains flexibility under lower temperatures, while holding the capability to handle up to 7,000 volts in tight spaces. It can resist acids, alkalis, organic solvents and aliphatic hydrocarbons.
Heavy Wall Silicone Flex Glass? is sleeving braided with a treated fiberglass and then coated with heavy silicone rubber that has minimal end fray and dusting. It can maintain its flexibility around a tight radius without cracking, resisting dielectric breakdown during operational stresses. It too has a Class H rating at 392°F and is used in dry-type transformer applications, handling up to 15,000V. It can maintain flexibility in low temperature environments with its brittle point below -121°F. It is abrasion resistant, as well as resistant to common chemicals, inorganic acids, alkalis and aliphatic hydrocarbons.
Techflex? sleeving is part of the “5 Ways to Buy” program, which features five convenient sizing options in pouches or on spools, along with custom spooling and labeling services. Learn more about the Techflex? Electrical Insulation sleeving category here.
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