Wire Insulation Selection Guidelines  

Insulation Types	Advantages	Disadvantages
FEP and PTFE (Dupont TM Teflon)	Excellent high temperature properties.  PTFE Teflon is preferred for solder applications.  FEP is preferred for jacket material.  Non-flammable  Good outgassing characteristics Most flexible of all insulations Good weatherability, resists moisture absorption and atomic oxygen erosion	Susceptible to cold flow when stressed (bent) over tight radius or when laced too tightly.  Degraded by solar radiation above 5 x 105 RADS.  FEP has poor cut through resistance Heaviest insulation
ETFE (Dupont TM Tefzel)	Withstands physical abuse during and after installation  Good high and low temperature properties  High flex life  Good outgassing characteristics Fair cold flow properties	Some ETFE insulations fail flammability in a 30% oxygen environment  Insulation tends to soften at high temperature Degraded by gamma radiation above 106 RADS
Crosslinked ETFE (Dupont TM Tefzel)	Higher strength than normal ETFE  Resistant to cold flow and abrasion  More resistant to radiation effects (to 5 x 107 RADS)   Higher maximum temperature than normal ETFE  Tin Coating = 150°C Max.  Silver Coating = 200°C Max.  Good outgassing characteristics	Some ETFE insulations fail flammability in a 30% oxygen environment Less flexible than extruded ETFE More difficult to work with than PTFE Teflon
Polyimide (Dupont TM Kapton)	Lightest weight wire insulation material.  Commonly used with FEP  or PTFE Teflon to form layered insulation tapes  Excellent physical thermal and electric properties.  Excellent cut-through resistance and cold flow resistance  Excellent radiation resistance  (to 5 x 109 RADS)   Good outgassing characteristics	Inflexibility - difficult to strip.  Absorbs moisture.  Degraded by atomic oxygen.  Poor weatherability Prone to wet-arc and dry-arc tracking from abrasions and cuts More difficult to flex Not stable to ultraviolet radiation
Crosslinked Polyalkene	Dual extrusion which is fused by sintering.  Combines excellent abrasion and cut through resistance of Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF, PVF2-Penwalt Corp. TM Kynar) with Polyolefin for greater flexibility and improved heat resistance.  Polyalkene is used mainly as a primary insulation under an outer jacket such as crosslinked ETFE or crosslinked PVDF/PVF2  High dielectric constant, used in high voltage applications  PVDF has good radiation resistance  (to 108 RADS)   More resistant to cold flow Good outgassing characteristics	Lower maximum conductor temperature rating  (135°C for GSFC S-311-P-13)  (150°C for MIL-W-81044)  Reduced flexibility
Silicon Rubber	Excellent flexibility at low temperatures Excellent high voltage corona resistance Good radiation resistance (to 108 RADS) Good cold flow resistance	Poor cut through resistance, mechanical toughness, and fluid resistance Must be processed for outgassing control Flammable No standard silicon rubber insulated wire or cable