Heat shrink tubing is used to insulate and protect exposed wires, terminals, and components in a wide variety of electronic appliances.

Standard heat shrink tubing tends to shrink at a temperature of between 80 and 90 °C. There are other heat shrink tubing materials that are more hardwearing, and that require temperatures of more than double that for them to be shrank.

Think wall heat shrink tubing is designed for use in the medical industry, and can be heat shrunk at very low temperatures. This is important because it allows the tubing to be used to protect delicate components. The tubing is very thin and flexible, and can be used at its normal size if required.

Thin wall heat shrink tubing is still quite durable, and can operate at very cold temperatures. The melting point of thin wall heat shrink tubing is approximately 235 °C.

Thin wall heat shrink tubing is a specialist product, and may be hard to source from normal electronics retailers. It can be purchased from the manufacturer. Advanced Polymers Incorporated produces medical grade thin wall tubing, and will provide small sample packs upon request.

Thin wall heat shrink tubing may be sterilised using Gamma Radiation, Ethylene Oxide, or Autoclaving, although repeated autoclaving is not recommended. The tubes have a high dielectric strength , and a resistivity of 10^18 Ohm-cm.

The tensile strength of a polyester thin wall heat shrink tube is surprisingly high – up to 50,000 psi. Because of this high strength, they also have a high burst pressure. The tubes are strongest after shrinkage.
The colour range available includes optically clear, white, black, transparent green, yellow, transparent blue, and opaque blue. It is possible to get other colours made upon request. These colours differ slightly from the standard range of PVC or Polyolefin heat shrink tubing colours.

If you are considering using thin wall heat shrink tubing for a highly specialised task, it would be wise to contact the manufacturer to get a more detailed specification list. Thin walled tubing is suitable for a variety of needs, but is less durable, and not as resistant to hazardous chemicals or extreme temperatures as some of the more commonly available fluoropolymer heat shrink tube materials that are available on the market. It is always wise to confirm the properties and specifications of the tubing before putting it to use in a production environment.