Overview
IEC 60684-3-211:2007 specifies requirements for semi-rigid, heat-shrinkable polyolefin insulating sleeving with a nominal shrink ratio of 2:1. The sheet covers sleeving found suitable for service temperatures up to 135 °C and defines four product types to address general-purpose, flame-retardant and fluid-resistant needs. Materials conforming to this specification provide known performance baselines for electrical insulation and mechanical protection.
Key standardized characteristics include available sizes (expanded/recovered internal diameters up to 12.7/6.4 mm), common colours (black, white, red, yellow, blue and translucent), and the mandatory test and conditioning procedures referenced to Part 1 and Part 2 of the IEC 60684 series.
Key Topics
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Product types:
- Type A - general purpose, flame-retarded, opaque colours
- Type B - general purpose, non flame-retarded, translucent
- Type C - fluid resistant, flame-retarded, opaque colours
- Type D - fluid resistant, non flame-retarded, translucent
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Thermal suitability: rated for applications up to 135 °C (long-term ageing and heat-age tests specified).
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Shrink and dimensions: nominal shrink ratio 2:1; dimensional requirements and recovered wall thicknesses are defined in the standard (see Table 1 in the publication).
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Electrical and mechanical properties: includes minimum tensile strength, elongation at break, secant modulus, breakdown voltage (specified by recovered wall thickness: e.g., 0.50 mm → 10.0 kV, 0.65 mm → 12.0 kV, 0.75 mm → 13.5 kV), volume resistivity and flame propagation limits for flame-retarded types.
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Fluid resistance: Types C and D are subjected to specific fluid immersion tests (ISO 1817 fluids and temperatures as listed in the standard) to verify tensile and elongation retention after exposure.
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Test conditioning: Unless specified otherwise, specimens are shrunk in a forced-air oven for (5 ± 1) min at 200 °C ± 3 K before testing; conformance is normally based on results from size 12.7/6.4 mm black sleeving.
Applications
- Electrical insulation and protection of wire joints, terminals and components in industrial and aerospace-related equipment where heat stability to 135 °C is required.
- Environments requiring flame-retardant sleeving or resistance to fuels, oils and hydraulic fluids (select Types A/C for flame retardancy and C/D for fluid resistance).
- General-purpose bundling and identification using available colours and translucent options for inspection.
Related Standards
- IEC 60684-1: Definitions and general requirements for flexible insulating sleeving
- IEC 60684-2: Methods of test referenced throughout this sheet
- IEC 60757: Code for designation of colours
- ISO 1817: Determination of the effect of liquids (used for fluid resistance testing)
This sheet aligns the 2:1, semi-rigid polyolefin specification with existing national documents and provides a reliable reference for material selection, testing and product procurement where controlled electrical and thermal performance is required.
Open preview (PDF)Flexible insulating sleeving - Part 3: Specifications for individual types of sleeving - Sheet 211: Heat-shrinkable sleeving, semi-rigid polyolefin, shrink ratio 2:1
