Nomex Sleeving: What's the Difference Between All These Products?

If you’re looking for Nomex sleeving, you’re probably well aware of the general benefits Nomex offers, but did you know there were so many Nomex wire sleeve options available? Our team of product experts will break it all down in this blog, from why to use it to how to choose it. Let’s dive in.

Understanding Nomex: Why Use It?

Nomex is a material designed by DuPont in the 1960s made to resist high temperatures and flames. Used in many industries, you can find Nomex sleeving in Aerospace, Defense, RAIL and Commercial applications where cabling needs to be bundled or protected. Manufacturers often use Nomex as a base material and enhance its properties by incorporating other materials, resulting in various Nomex-based products with additional benefits like EMI protection capabilities, for example.

Key Benefits of Nomex Sleeving

• Heat / Flame Resistant
• Abrasion Resistant
• Lightweight
• Easy to install

Choosing the Right Nomex Product

To select the most suitable Nomex wire sleeve product for your application, you’ll want to look at the tracers. Tracers can be colored thread woven into the sleeve or distinctive patterns woven into the sleeve. They are used to quickly identify the type or distinctive features of the Nomex wire sleeve. Pink tracers, for example, are used in Nomex sleeving for fuel lines and violet tracers indicate optical fibers.

Nomex Products: A Comprehensive Overview

Roundit 2000 NX Series

Roundit 2000 NX: This is the most popular Nomex sleeving product we sell. It’s the baseline Nomex wire sleeve product in the series without any additional materials incorporated. It’s an excellent choice for aerospace and defense applications and offers an operating temperature from -60ºC to +200ºC (-76ºF to +392ºF)

Roundit 2000 NX HT: This is the same product as the original Roundit 2000 NX but it is treated with an oil and water repellant and excels in high-temperature environments.This product is differentiated with a wide ivory tracer.

Roundit 2000 NX PTR: This is the same product as the original Roundit 2000 NX but is manufactured with a pink tracer for identifying fuel lines.

Roundit 2000 NX VTR: This is the same product as the original Roundit 2000 NX but is manufactured with a violet tracer for identifying optical fibers.

Roundit 2000 NX EMI: The outer layer is manufactured from PPS monofilaments and Nomex with an oil and water repellent treatment while the inner layer is composed of nickel-plated copper (Cu/Ni), which provides EMI insulation for shielding against electromagnetic interference.

Expando Nomex Sleeving

Expando HTNS L/H0: Expando is a well-known braided sleeving manufactured by Bentley Harris / Federal Mogul. This particular Expando sleeve is made of Nomex and is designed particularly to be resistant to gamma and x-rays, providing exceptional protection.

Other Nomex Products

Roundit Therm A and Therm B: These are multi layer cable protection products that offer fire protection of wire harnesses for up to 5 min and 15 mins, respectively according to ISO 2685 at +1100°C (+2012ºF)

Roundit NP EMI: This Nomex wire sleeve is resistant to electrical arcs and offers EMI shielding.

HT TVS Lacing Tape: Used for spot ties, cable-lacing and harnessing applications, this product offer operating temperatures from -55ºC to +1100ºC (-67ºF to +2012ºF)

Nomex TechLace: A lacing tape designed for securing and organizing cables in high heat environments offering a thermal endurance of -67°F to 500°F; melting point: 700°F

Flexo NX: Designed to protect in temperatures up to 662°F. It is unaffected by short term exposure to most acids, bases, solvents and common engineering chemicals.

Flexo F6X: This product was specifically designed for use in aircraft applications, offering extreme abrasion and heat resistance of -76°F to 392°F

Expert Insights and Recommendations

Storing Nomex sleeves correctly is key to extending their shelf life. Our product specialists at Titan recommend the following storage guidelines:

• Store away from direct sunlight and UV light sources.
• Leave protection sleeves packaged until needed, especially if delivered on drums.
• Protect against fluids, dust, and extreme artificial conditions.
• Limit storage life to a maximum of eight years, unless subject to requalification.

Joe Wiggington, Sales Manager at Titan Electronics, emphasizes the importance of choosing the right size and application-specific Nomex sleeving, saying “make sure the sleeving is the correct size for your application. The right size and the right type of Nomex sleeving will ensure that it does its job properly.” He also added that the “self-wrapping feature of ROUNDIT Nomex products allows for quick and easy application and removal of the product for assembly and maintenance, a key consideration when you factor in long term costs.” The self-wrapping Nomex sleeving products can also be applied or removed without disturbing connectors or fittings, really reducing the time it takes to install.

We hope this guide has helped you understand the different Nomex products we offer and their unique features so you can choose the perfect solution for your application. If you still have questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re alway happy to help guide you to the product best suited for your unique needs.