Some of our blogs in the past have focused on Kapton insulated wire and TKT insulated wire. This time we will discuss a different type of wire used on F-15 and F-18 military jets as well as commercial aircraft including the Boeing 737, 747,757, 767, and 777 as well as the Airbus A320, A330, A340 and A380.
Crosslinked Tefzel insulated wire is a Dupont TM wire also known as XL-ETFE. It has Tefzel insulation that has been subjected to heat or pressure in order to undergo a chemical change known as cross-linking. This chemical change ensures that the physical properties of the material are set. According to Dupont, if the crosslinked Tefzel insulation is subjected to heat again, the material will not melt, flow or drip.
SPEC 55 wire is insulated with modified radiation cross-linked ETFE (Ethylene tetrafluoroethylene) polymer. It uses a silver-plated copper conductor and combines the easy handling of a flexible wire with excellent scrape abrasion and cut-through characteristics. It is the Raychem version of XL-ETFE. By the way, TE Connectivity bought Raychem.
Below is information about this wire type:
And speaking of wire insulation, watch our latest video blog (VLOG) on how to correctly strip and remove insulation on an aircraft wiring harness: “Removing The Insulation From An F-16 Wiring Harness”.
