Do You Take Your Insulation

Hot or Cold?
Cold shrink and
heat shrink tubing
have different
applications,
installation
techniques, and
physical properties.
Make sure you
know when to use
each type
The use of a torch for heat shrink tubing demands a level of skill and
caution on the part of the installing electrician.

By Bill Taylor, 3M Electrical Products Division

C
old shrink and heat shrink tubing may appear similar from the
outside, but their key performance characteristics are very different.
Both types of tubing can be used in a variety of applications for
splicing, terminating, and environmentally sealing electrical cables
for low-voltage and medium-voltage applications. Choosing
between cold shrink and heat shrink tubing, however, is more
difficult than just picking the least expensive or most familiar type.
The most obvious difference is that cold shrink comes stretched over a
removable core, allowing you simply to slide the tube over the splice or
termination and unwind the core, letting the cold shrink tube contract to fit snugly
over the cable. Heat shrink requires a heat source, usually a torch, to shrink it over
the splice or termination. Heat shrink also requires more skill to prepare and apply.
Arming yourself with information about the differences should help you make the
correct choice for your next application.

210658.pmd 10 6/22/2004, 7:39 AM

 The secret to the shrink. Although they’re used for
different applications, both types of tubing use the same
material science of cross linking to achieve shrinkage. The
materials that make up the insulation—ethylene propolyne
diene monomer (EPDM) or silicone rubber in the case of cold
shrink, and ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) in the case of heat
shrink—are cross linkable, which allows them to stretch and
then shrink onto the cable.
In both cold shrink and heat shrink products, cross link-
ing is a process that forms bonds that act like springs between
the long-chain molecules of the material in the tubing; when
the tubing is stretched those bonds try to return the material
to its original shape (Fig. 1 above). The more these materials
are cross linked, the stronger their desire to return to their
original shape. The distance that the material stays expanded
beyond its original diameter is called permanent set.
The manufacturer provides an application range that takes
into account the permanent set of the material (Fig. 2 on
page C13). This applicaton range will ensure continuous
inward pressure during the life of a cold shrink product.
Because of this living seal, cold shrink is best-suited for
situations where large load swings or temperature differences
occur. As the cable expands and contracts with these
differences in temperature, the cold shrink product will
expand and contract with the cable to maintain a tight seal.
Although the cross linking concept is the same in both
types of tubing, the composition of the materials and how
they respond to temperature changes is different. As the
material used in heat shrink tubing, EVA is characterized by
crystalline regions that allow it to remain stretched at normal
temperatures. During manufacture, the tubing is heated
above the crystalline melt temperature, allowing the tubing to
expand. Once it has been stretched, it’s then cooled below the
crystalline melt temperature, crystallizing those regions and
making them rigid again. The product is shipped in the
stretched state.
To form a tight seal around cabling, heat shrink tubing
must be heated again by the end-user. Reheating the tubing
melts the crystalline regions again and causes it to shrink.
After the product shrinks onto the cable and the heat source
is removed, the crystalline regions resolidify and become rigid.
Under most operating conditions, these regions remain in
crystalline form and, therefore, exert no inward pressure on
the cable. As a result, most heat shrink products use hot melt
adhesives and mastics to environmentally seal the cable
because the heat shrink material doesn’t expand or contract
with the cable.
Installation can be quick or quicksand. Installation
techniques differ greatly from cold shrink to heat shrink
tubing. Whereas cold shrink products can be installed with-
out special tools, heat shrink products require a torch and
more skill. Cold shrink generally installs with consistent
insulation wall thickness, regardless of the installer’s level of
training. The insulation wall thickness of heat shrink can vary
depending on the skill of the installer. This uneven heating—
a possibility when cramped spaces, such as manholes, limit
210658.pmd 11
Fig. 1. Cross linking forms spring-like bonds.
access to all sides of the tubing—can cause variations in the
thickness of insulation.
The introduction of a torch for heating purposes also
makes it necessary to take extra caution to prevent injury to
other workers or damage to the cable or anything else in the
surrounding area. Manhole installations are even more
troublesome. In such instances, the presence of combustible
gases can cause an explosion if brought into contact with the
flame from the torch. The gases expelled by the torch’s flame
must be vented from the manhole, and fresh oxygen must be
pumped in for worker safety. For those reasons, cold shrink
products are a safer option when working in manholes and
other areas where gases may concentrate.
It’s also important to consider work permit issues. A hot
work permit is typically necessary when installing any heat
shrink products, whereas the installation of cold shrink
tubing requires only a standard work permit. It can be
difficult to obtain a hot work permit while a facility is
running, so plan accordingly.
What’s hot and what’s not about each. Silicone, used
in cold shrink products, is inherently UV-resistant and
therefore won’t be affected by the sun. It also inherently repels
water and has fairly good chemical resistance to most, but
not all chemicals. Silicone, however, isn’t very tough or
abrasion-resistant. It’s recommended for outdoor, above-
ground applications because of its UV resistance and ability
to repel water. Silicone materials perform very well in high
and low temperatures. From a cold shrink installation stand-
point, silicone materials shrink onto the cables the same at
⫺30°C as they do at 60°C. Once installed, the materials will
perform in much colder and hotter temperatures than the
installation temperatures. Because of these properties, for
example, silicone would be well-suited for medium-voltage
terminations and outdoor applications.
EPDM rubber, also used in cold shrink tubing, is tough
and abrasion resistant and has fairly good chemical
resistance to most, but not all chemicals. It has been used in
direct burial applications for more than 25 years. It requires
additives to make it more UV-resistant and more suitable to
repel water for above-ground applications, but works well
underground. EPDM materials aren’t recommended for
applications that will bring them in close contact with
hydrocarbons because they tend to swell and lose some of
6/22/2004, 7:39 AM

Contrary to its name, cold shrink tubing doesn’t require low tempera-
tures to shrink. Unwinding the plastic core will activate the process.
their physical properties in such
situations. EPDM is a good choice for
direct burial applications, especially
manhole installations.
The temperature of the environment
in which the tubing will be used should
also be a consideration. Contrary to its
name, cold shrink insulation made of
EPDM shrinks very slowly below 32°F.
However, it will still contract to the size
it’s meant to be. You can speed up the
shrinking process by squeezing it or
warming it up.
In addition to being tough and a
brasion-resistant, EVA, used in heat
shrink tubing, resists most chemicals.
Heat shrink has been used in direct burial
applications for more than 20 years. It
requires additives to make it more
UV-resistant and able to repel water for
above-ground applications, but works
well underground. It’s well-suited for
rejacketing in direct burial applications.
EVA and EPDM are very similar in
their ability to resist water penetration.
While both work well, only metal is truly
moisture-impervious.
Cold shrink tubing is more pliable
than heat shrink materials, which allows
it to move with the cable as it goes
through load cycling expansions and
contractions and to maintain a lifelong
Reprinted with permission from the May 2003 issue of Electrical Construction & Maintenance.® (www.ecmweb.com)
Copyright 2003, PRIMEDIA Business Magazines & Media Inc. All rights reserved.
210658.pmd 12
environmental seal and interface
pressure on the cable. EPDM is also
physically very tough and able to with-
stand physical abuse and abrasion. EPDM
and silicone materials won’t change
physical properties until they’re heated to
well over 200°C.
Heat shrink tubing, on the other
hand, is typically very rigid at room tem-
perature, making it a good choice
for mechanical protection at these
temperatures. However, this rigidity
prevents it from moving with the cable
Fig. 2. The diameter of the cable to be insulated should always be
greater than the original diameter of the cold shrink tubing.
6/22/2004, 7:39 AM
and maintaining an environmental seal
without mastics and hot melt adhesives.
The crystalline regions that provide this
rigidity typically melt between 90°C and
110°C, and when they melt, the tubing
becomes softer and less resistant to
abrasion. As such, heat shrink material
works best as a jacketing material where
the temperatures are below 90°C if abra-
sion resistance and/or chemical resis-
tance are required.
Finally, when working outdoors,
temperature can have an effect on
the success of the installation. When
working in temperatures below
freezing, you should keep all insulation
materials—whether cold shrink or heat
shrink—in the heated cab of a truck un-
til the cable is prepared and you’re ready
to install the accessory.
Every cabling installation has a
different combination of requirements
for chemical, water, and abrasion resis-
tance. Factor in temperature consider-
ations, and choosing installation can
become difficult. However, heat shrink
and cold shrink tubing offer options for
several applications. Although you
should check with the manufacturer
for specific chemical resistances and ap-
plicability for unusual environmental
applications, together both forms of
tubing are capable of handling most
requirements. EC&M
Taylor is an electrical engineer in product development for the
3M electrical products division, Austin, Texas.
ECM-12R-CU
 Ꮨ
CAUTION: Working around energized high-voltage systems may cause serious injury or death.
Installation should be performed by personnel familiar with good safety practice in handling high-
voltage electrical equipment. De-energize and ground all electrical systems before installing product.

Important Notice BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OF

Before using this product, you must evaluate it and determine if it is
suitable for your intended application. You assume all risks and
liability associated with such use.
Warranty; Limited Remedy; Limited Liability.
3M’s product warranty is stated in its Product Literature available
upon request. 3M MAKES NO OTHER WARRANTIES INCLUDING,
MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
PURPOSE. If this product is defective within the warranty period
stated above, your exclusive remedy shall be, at 3M’s option, to
replace or repair the 3M product or refund the purchase price of the
3M product. Except where prohibited by law, 3M will not be liable
for any loss or damage arising from this 3M product, whether
direct, indirect, special, incidental or consequential regardless
of the legal theory asserted.

3
Electrical Products Division
6801 River Place Blvd.
Austin, TX 78726-9000
800 245 3573 Litho in USA.
Fax 800 245 0329
http://www.3m.com/elpd © 3M 2003 80-6016-0078-8 (0632.0)

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