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Are heatshrink tubings toxic for human health (e.g, using them in a "prolongedly-touched" place)?

tip of a phone charger

E.g. if I use them for supporting the tip of my phone charger or the tip of a 3.5 mm Audio jack (for strengthening purposes), will there be any long term health hazards (toxicity etc.)? I am worried because I touch those places many times over the course of daily activities.

NerdyNerdie
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  • The most toxic part (and it can be very toxic) will be heated particle sizes that may get into your lungs. If you want, look up peer-reviewed published research on various "lung cancer risk models" (there isn't just one, but find some that are more recent), and "airborne particulates" or "airborne particle sizes." There will be differences based on material. But recent research says it's more the thin, sharply pointed stuff that is worse, as well as size. Plastic airborne particles probably aren't quite as bad is the sharper, refractory particles will be. Enjoy reading the research. – jonk Feb 16 '20 at 22:42

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Unlikely. They certainly contain things that aren't per se healthy for consumption (plastic softerning agents etc), but you're not eating them...

Anyway, whether or not an industrial product has health hazards is answered in their manufacturer's safety datasheets, if there's any danger at all.

Marcus Müller
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Shouldn't be. Heatshrink tubing is just plastic. Certain plastics just shrink when heated just like the thin clear plastic wrap you see in that wraps tightly around boxes and other packaging. They don't really have to do anything weird to it to make it shrink.

The material used for most heatshrink tubing is polyolefin, in case you are curious. You might like to know there is also food-grade polyolefin heat shrink tubing as well. There is even medical grade polyolefin heat shrink tubing.

DKNguyen
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  • I think it is really odd for plastics to have a negative thermal expansion coefficient. Maybe it is not only thermal expansion. What is happening on a molecular level to cause shrinking? (I am thinking of polymer strings of plastic changing their molecular structure too) – NerdyNerdie Feb 17 '20 at 02:32
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    @NerdyNerdie Wiki says "A starting tube is extruded from the raw material. Next, the tube is taken to a separate process where it is cross-linked, usually through radiation. The cross-linking creates a memory in the tube. Then the tube is heated to just above the polymer's crystalline melting point and expanded in diameter, often by placing it in a vacuum chamber. While in the expanded state it is rapidly cooled. Later, when heated (above the crystalline melting point of the material) by the end user, the tubing shrinks back to its original extruded size. " – DKNguyen Feb 17 '20 at 02:37
  • It's not a thermal expansion coefficient since it's not reversible just by simple cooling. So according to the wiki, it's not unlike stressing a metal by coldworking it or aligning its ferromagnetic domains while hot and locking them in with rapid cooling, and then annealing it later by reheating it to to relieve the internal stress in the material. – DKNguyen May 16 '20 at 19:31
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If you're really concerned, you can get FDA CFR 177.1330 food grade shrink tubing, which is polyolefin similar to other common types of shrink tubing. Personally, I have zero concern for touching.

There are many other materials available such as PTFE (Teflon), PEEK, PVC. Some of the highest shrink ratio material is PTFE, however it is very expensive.

In general, plastics themselves are seldom harmful, but there have been some harmful additives identified in recent years, in particular some flame-retardant agents. Additives, particularly plasticizers, as well as fillers, can constitute a substantial percentage of certain plastics.

Spehro Pefhany
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Probably fine. If you're concerned and don't want to get the food-safe stuff, get your tubing from a source reputable enough to also have an MSDS for the specific part number of tubing you're buying. That should cover prolonged contact.

TimWescott
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Definitely Toxic . When it is heated fumes come off of it . These fumes are toxic . How do I know this ? I have been in a room where long lengths of large diameter 25mm heatshrink were being heated with a heat gun . I could see the fumes rising from the heatshrink . It activated the smoke alarm . I was breathing in the fumes . I did not feel well. I had a sore throat from the fumes as well and I was lightheaded . When I woke up the following morning I had a pain in my lungs. It is not good for you to be breathing these fumes!! A proper Respirator ( 3M 6000 Series ) are needed when working with heatshrink . It should be done in sealed room with good air circulation /extraction . Be careful with it!!

BJE
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