Published: 2026-08-24
The sheath is the first line of defense for the cable; if the material is chosen incorrectly, it doesn't matter how good the core wire is. The four main types of sheaths each have their own characteristics:
PVC: Cheap, good flame retardancy, easy to process, but has low temperature resistance (70-90°C), hardens at low temperatures, and is not oil-resistant. Suitable for indoor fixed installation and general equipment.
Rubber (CR/SBR/EPDM): Good elasticity, weather resistance, and bending resistance. Neoprene (CR) is also resistant to salt spray. Suitable for outdoor use, mobile devices, and marine applications. The drawbacks are that it is not resistant to oil stains and has average wear resistance.
PUR (Polyurethane): Wear-resistant, oil-resistant, hydrolysis-resistant (polyether type), good low-temperature toughness, it is the king in mobile drag chain scenarios. The drawback is that it is expensive, and the polyester type is not hydrolysis-resistant.
TPU (Thermoplastic Polyurethane): Its performance is close to PUR, but it can be processed thermoplastically, has high production efficiency, slightly lower cost, and also excellent wear and oil resistance. In recent years, it has gradually replaced some rubber applications.
One-sentence selection guide: For indoor stationary use, choose PVC; for outdoor mobile use, choose rubber; for oil-contaminated drag chains, choose PUR; if you want both wear resistance and cost-effectiveness, choose TPU. Under the same working conditions, different sheath materials can result in a lifespan difference of 3-5 times, so don't just look at the price when purchasing.
Shanghai Suoqi supports custom full-sheath systems for PVC, CR, PUR, and TPU, and can recommend sheath materials based on the usage environment (oil, seawater, outdoor, low temperature) and provide comparative suggestions.
About Shanghai Suoqi
Shanghai Suoqi Electric Wire & Cable Co., Ltd. is a specialized cable enterprise focusing on the research and development, design, production, and sales of special flexible cables. The company's products cover a series including reel cables, flat cables, drag chain cables, encoder cables, polyurethane cables, seawater-resistant cables, seawater-resistant network cables, and high-altitude vehicle cables, which are widely used in ports machinery, mining, industrial automation, marine engineering, and other fields. For more product information or inquiries, please call 13311756197 (same number on WeChat).