Sealing a cable in a connector
Sealing a cable in a connector
(OP)
Hi,
I have the following challenge. I need to seal 3 to 6 mm cables in a 6.5 mm hole. There can be different jacketing materials on the cable PVC, PUR or Low smoke non halogen jackets. The seal has to meet IP65 (dust and water resistant) . be as chemical resistant as possible and should act as strain relief. I'm looking for an adhesive that can do the trick instead of the common rubber washers and mechanical strain relieves.
It should set as quickly as possible. Ones the cable is fixed it's fixed so no need to ever remove it ever again.
Any ideas or leads would be very welcome. I'm thinking like a PUR foam or a Intumescent material but have little experience with these materials and a problem where to start. So all help welcome
I have the following challenge. I need to seal 3 to 6 mm cables in a 6.5 mm hole. There can be different jacketing materials on the cable PVC, PUR or Low smoke non halogen jackets. The seal has to meet IP65 (dust and water resistant) . be as chemical resistant as possible and should act as strain relief. I'm looking for an adhesive that can do the trick instead of the common rubber washers and mechanical strain relieves.
It should set as quickly as possible. Ones the cable is fixed it's fixed so no need to ever remove it ever again.
Any ideas or leads would be very welcome. I'm thinking like a PUR foam or a Intumescent material but have little experience with these materials and a problem where to start. So all help welcome





RE: Sealing a cable in a connector
Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA
RE: Sealing a cable in a connector
Cheap expanding foam from a can is not the least bit chemical resistant, has very little mechanical strength (i.e. will not provide much strain relief) and doesn't really bond to anything- from what I can tell it stays where it is put based mostly on mechanical forces. It would be a very poor choice for potting connectors.
RE: Sealing a cable in a connector
the only other options that I can really see are some kind of through-pass connector.
RE: Sealing a cable in a connector
Use one of the proven mechanical solutions from a supplier such as http://www.heyco.com/index.cfm.
RE: Sealing a cable in a connector
You may need to do a surface treatment of the cables depending on insulation material as Mint says - there are primers for PTFE etc. or else slight mechanical abrading and really good cleaning with suitable solvent (e.g. Acetone or...), with finish clean with IPA or similar to remove solvent residue will probably allow reasonable adhesion.
There are some epoxies with reasonable chemical resistance, I think I've posted related questions or responses before if you hunt.
We've spent quite a bit of time (i.e. company$) investigating chemical (especially solvent) resistant epoxies and I'm afraid I cant' just give that info away but will give some hints.
Vacuum epoxies like Torr seal (or the unlabeled loctite equivalent) is our base line for chemical compatibility - it does reasonably well and is more readily available than some more exotic formulas. Also can be used without heat cure - some of the fancier epoxies may require relatively high temp cure for best performance.
Some of the 'high temperature' adhesives from places like http://www.masterbond.com/properties/chemical-resi... have better chemical resistance - if you pick the right ones. Chemical and temperature resistance both depend on the length of the ethane chains or something like that (I ain't no chemist).
Epoxy is used to coat solvent tanks etc. on trains so consider looking at coatings not just adhesives - adjust cure time etc. accordingly.
What is Engineering anyway: FAQ1088-1484: In layman terms, what is "engineering"?