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Insulation material typically depends upon the application. For example, environmental conditions such as temperature, chemical exposure, and abrasion/tear resistance should all be considered when choosing an insulation material.
The more common industrial/commercial insulation materials are PVC (PolyvinylChloride), EP (Ethylene Propylene), PCP or Neoprene (Polychloroprene) are available from wire manufacturers as off the shelf items. The terms PVC and thermoplastic are somewhat vague in their definition by agencies and intend only to generally characterize an insulation material having a major component of PVC, vinyl chloride or vinyl acetate. There are other trade name insulations, which vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, such as Teflon or Hypalon.
The following table identifies some of the common environmental characteristics of insulation materials:
| Material Type | Polyvinylchloride | Ethylene Propylene | Neoprene | Polyurethane |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV resistance | VG | E | E | E |
| Ozone resistance | E | E | VG | E |
| Water resistance | E | VG | E | E |
| Low temperature flexibility | G | VG | VG | E |
| Tear and notch resistance | VG | VG | E | E |
| Abrasion resistance | G | VG | VG | E |
| Transformer oil resistance | VG | F-G | F-G | E |
| Benzene resistance | P | F | F | F |
| Bleach resistance | F | E | VG | F |
| Diesel oil resistance | P | F | F | G |
| Ethylene Glycol resistance | G | E | VG | F |
| Gasoline resistance | P | F | G | E |
| Kerosene resistance | P | G | G | VG |
| Methel ethyl ketone resistance | P | E | G | G |
| Trichloroethylene resistance | P | F | F | P-F |
| E - Excellent VG - Very Good G - Good F - Fair P - Poor | ||||
