IEC 60684-3-214:2019

Overview

IEC 60684-3-214:2019 specifies requirements for heat-shrinkable, polyolefin sleeving, not flame retarded, thick and medium wall (nominal shrink ratio 3:1). The standard covers two types - Type A (medium wall) and Type B (thick wall) - typically with recovered internal diameters up to 200 mm. These sleeving products are normally supplied in black and are suitable for service temperatures up to 100 °C. Annex A provides guide tables of available sizes and wall thicknesses; actual sizes are to be agreed between user and supplier.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Material & construction: Polyolefin, heat-shrinkable sleeving in medium and thick wall variants; not flame retarded.
• Shrink and test conditioning: Samples are normally pre-shrunk in a forced-air oven at 200 °C for (10 ± 1) min prior to testing.
• Mechanical properties: Minimum tensile strength and elongation requirements after conditioning and ageing (e.g., elongation minima in the hundreds of percent), plus limits on longitudinal change and concentricity.
• Dimensional control: Expanded and recovered dimensions and wall thickness are specified; final dimensions negotiated between purchaser and supplier.
• Electrical properties: Breakdown voltage and volume resistivity are specified and tested to ensure insulating performance.
• Durability: Requirements for heat ageing (including long-term ageing at 100 °C), water absorption (max 0.5%), and secant modulus (at 2% elongation).
• Material composition and physical tests: Minimum carbon black content (≥ 2.5%), hardness (Shore D ≥ 40) and resistance to selected fluids are specified.
• Conformance sampling: Conformance tests are normally performed on typical sizes (recovered ID 25–30 mm).

Notable change in this edition: removal of a separate colour fastness to light test - colour stability is covered via the carbon black content test.

Applications and practical value

• Electrical insulation and mechanical protection for:
  • Wire and cable terminations
  • Splices and joints
  • Harnesses and cable bundles
  • Environmental and moisture sealing for connectors
• Useful where a robust, heat-shrinkable polyolefin sleeve is required but flame retardancy is not needed. Selection for a specific application should consider the actual mechanical, thermal and electrical requirements in addition to compliance with this standard.

Who uses this standard

• Manufacturers of heat-shrink tubing and insulating sleeving
• Product designers and OEMs in automotive, industrial, telecoms and electronics
• Purchasing/specification engineers and test labs verifying sleeving performance
• Quality and compliance teams ensuring supplied sleeving meets IEC requirements

Related standards

• IEC 60684-1 (definitions and general requirements)
• IEC 60684-2 (methods of test)
• Other referenced documents (e.g., IEC 60296, ISO 868, ISO 11358) for specific test methods and materials guidance

Keywords: heat-shrinkable, polyolefin sleeving, not flame retarded, thick and medium wall, IEC 60684-3-214:2019, insulating sleeving, heat-shrink tubing.