Issue link: https://te.mouser.com/i/1385324
mouser.com/te-connectivity 33 Suppose the products are heated up again beyond the crystalline melting point, which typically happens during the installation by a gas torch or hot air gun. In that case, the products will shrink again to their original shape. This kind of memory effect remains valid for the entire lifetime of the product. It allows an almost unlimited shelf life for the products under specific storage and warehouse conditions. Material Modification By using additives to the formulation, characteristics of the tubes or molded parts can be modified. The chemical formulation is the key element to achieve features required for various industrial applications and ensure that it can be processed in a cost-efficient manufacturing process. Figure 2 displays a general overview of the different ingredients used to formulate heat shrink materials to gain the desired properties, depending on the final product. As a consequence, the formulation of a material can be pretty complex. Without adversely impacting each other, it needs to be assured that the combination of all the different materials will combine functions including: FIGURE 2: Potential Ingredients to formulate heat-shrink materials with the desired properties. (TE Connectivity) • Mechanical properties • UV resistance for outdoor applications • Electrical properties • Oil blocking characteristics • Tracking and erosion • Radiation resistance • Flame retardant /fire resistant properties • Electrical stress control • High UV requirements