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Product

High-temperature wires & cablesNEMA HP 3 & UL 5251250–1,000 V · 200–260 °CPTFE / TFE + Glass Braid

PTFE High-Temperature Hook-Up Wire (NEMA HP 3 & UL 5251)250–1,000 V 200–260 °C PTFE & TFE/glass-braided high-temperature hook-up wire

Q: What is the difference between NEMA HP 3 Types ET, E and EE?

All three are pure PTFE hook-up wires (formerly MIL-W-16878/4, /5 and /6) differentiated by radial insulation thickness and voltage rating: Type ET has a 0.006 in (0.15 mm) wall for 250 V RMS (32–20 AWG), Type E has a 0.010 in (0.25 mm) wall for 600 V RMS (32–10 AWG), and Type EE has a 0.015 in (0.38 mm) wall for 1,000 V RMS (32–6 AWG).

Q: How does UL AWM Style 5251 differ from NEMA HP 3 PTFE wire?

While NEMA HP 3 is an unbraided single-wall PTFE wire primarily in 32–6 AWG, UL AWM Style 5251 covers heavier appliance and heater power leads from 24 AWG up to 4/0 AWG (600 Vac, 250 °C) using skived virgin TFE tape reinforced with glass-fiber tape or felted aramid and an overall treated fiberglass braid.

Q: When should I specify silver-plated versus nickel-plated copper in PTFE wire?

Silver-plated copper provides the lowest contact and RF skin-effect resistance up to +200 °C. Above +200 °C (up to +250 °C on UL 5251 or +260 °C on NEMA HP 3), specify nickel-plated copper to prevent thermal oxidation.

Q: Does PTFE insulation melt or shrink back during hand soldering?

No. Crosslinked/sintered PTFE has a crystalline transition point of +327 °C and does not melt, drip or shrink back when contacted briefly by a soldering iron in dense electronics chassis.

PTFE high-temperature hook-up and appliance lead wire to ANSI/NEMA HP 3-2021 (MIL-W-16878 Types ET 250 V, E 600 V, EE 1,000 V for 200–260 °C) and UL AWM Style 5251 (600 Vac 250 °C TFE tape + glass/aramid + fiberglass braid, 24–4/0 AWG).

Flame-retardant

Oil-resistant

Outdoor & humid

Approved

Preview configuration

Order designation: NEMA HP 3 Type E · 20 AWG
Nominal OD: 1.47 mm
Wall: 0.25 mm
Mass ≈: 7.5 kg/km
Max. DC res.: 30.8 Ω/km

Check against my drum All sizes (17)

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Engineering reply in 2 business hoursCut-to-length export drumsEN 10204 3.1 certificate per drum

Max. operating T: 200–260 °C
Voltage classes: 250 / 600 / 1kV
Insulation: PTFE / TFE+Glass
AWG range: 32–4/0 AWG
Min. operating T: −90 °C
Min. bend radius: 6 × OD / 10 × OD

Typical values for this cable type, based on ANSI/NEMA HP 3 & UL 758 — confirmed in the datasheet and quotation for your order.

Application fit

Is PTFE Hook-Up Wire (NEMA HP 3 / UL) right for your machine?

Extruded PTFE hook-up and equipment wire for continuous -60 °C to +260 °C service in thermal chambers, kilns, avionics harnesses and chemical plant.

Furnace, kiln & high-temp zone

Suitable

Continuous +260 °C thermal stability for ovens, kilns, heaters and hot-zone sensor leads.

Switchgear & control cabinet wiring

Suitable

Thin-wall high-dielectric hook-up wiring inside control cabinets, test racks and instrumentation chassis.

Motor stator, traction & converter leads

With conditions

Suitable for Class H/C stator and heater connections when mechanically protected from sharp edges.

Energy chain / drag chain

Not suitable

Thin PTFE insulation cold-flows under continuous drag-chain flexing.

Use (N)12YRD11Y PUR Chain

Motorised monospiral reel

Not suitable

Single-core unshielded hook-up wire — never use on crane or mobile reeling drums.

Use (N)SHTÖU Reeling

Typical machinesMilitary & aerospace electronics (MIL-W-16878)High-frequency RF & test instrumentationCommercial cooking & industrial heating (UL 5251)Cryogenic (−90 °C) & vacuum chamber wiringChemical & petrochemical process transmittersHigh-density hand-soldered backplanes

Construction

Layer by layer

In ANSI/NEMA HP 3 (Types ET, E, EE), a concentric-stranded silver-plated (200 °C) or nickel-plated (260 °C) copper conductor is insulated with paste-extruded or wrapped/sintered virgin PTFE. In UL AWM Style 5251 (24 to 4/0 AWG, 250 °C), the conductor is wrapped with skived virgin TFE tape, a glass-fiber or felted aramid barrier, and an overall high-temperature fiberglass braid.

Schematic, not to scale — generated from the layer data

#	Layer	Material & reference
1	Silver- or nickel-plated copper	Stranded silver-plated copper (200 °C) or nickel-plated copper (250/260 °C), 32 AWG to 4/0 AWGANSI/NEMA HP 3 & UL 758
2	PTFE / skived TFE insulation	Extruded or sintered virgin PTFE (0.15 mm ET, 0.25 mm E, 0.38 mm EE) or skived virgin TFE tape (UL 5251)NEMA HP 3 / UL 5251
3	Glass/aramid + fiberglass braid (UL 5251)	Glass-fiber tape or felted aramid + overall treated fiberglass braid (applied on UL AWM Style 5251; omitted on NEMA HP 3 Types ET/E/EE)UL 758 Style 5251

NEMA HP 3 Type ET (250 V) · Type E (600 V) · Type EE (1,000 V)

Pure PTFE hook-up wire (formerly MIL-W-16878/4, /5, /6) · 32 to 6 AWG · 200 °C (silver-plated Cu) or 260 °C (nickel-plated Cu)

UL AWM Style 5251 · 24 AWG to 4/0 AWG

600 Vac · 250 °C · Skived virgin TFE tape + glass-fiber tape or felted aramid + overall fiberglass braid for heavy appliance/heater power leads

Technical data

Ratings & operating limits

Typical values: Typical values for this cable type, based on ANSI/NEMA HP 3 & UL 758. Values for your order are confirmed in the datasheet and quotation.

Electrical

Rated voltage by style: 250 V RMS (NEMA HP 3 Type ET) · 600 V RMS (NEMA HP 3 Type E & UL 5251) · 1,000 V RMS (NEMA HP 3 Type EE)
Dielectric test & permittivity: 1.5 kV RMS (Type ET), 2.0 kV RMS (Type E & UL 5251), 3.0 kV RMS (Type EE) dielectric test · 3.0–6.0 kV spark test · dielectric constant 2.0–2.1
Conductor & plating options: Stranded silver-plated copper (200 °C) or nickel-plated copper (260 °C) per ANSI/NEMA HP 3; nickel-plated or silver-plated copper per UL 5251 (250 °C)

Thermal

Operating temperature range: −90 °C to +200 °C (silver-plated NEMA HP 3) · −90 °C to +260 °C (nickel-plated NEMA HP 3) · +250 °C (UL AWM Style 5251)
High-temperature solder-iron immunity: Cross-crystalline PTFE melting point (~327 °C) prevents insulation melt-back or shrinkback during hand or wave soldering

Mechanical

Insulation & braid construction: Type ET: 0.006 in (0.15 mm) thin wall · Type E: 0.010 in (0.25 mm) medium wall · Type EE: 0.015 in (0.38 mm) thick wall · UL 5251: skived virgin TFE tape + glass/aramid barrier + overall fiberglass braid
Minimum bending radius: 6 × OD fixed; 10 × OD flexing

Resistance

Solder-iron, flame & chemical resistance: UL VW-1 / NEMA HP 3 non-flammable (LOI > 95%); immune to soldering-iron melt-back, acids, alkalis, solvents, fuels and hydraulic fluids
Moisture & outgassing behaviour: Water absorption < 0.01%; chemically inert to all industrial solvents, fuels, acids and bases

Reference standards

Applicable standards: ANSI/NEMA HP 3-2021 (Types ET, E, EE; ex MIL-W-16878/4, /5, /6); UL 758 AWM Style 5251 (and Styles 1180 / 1213)
Environmental compliance: RoHS & REACH compliant virgin PTFE / glass-braid system

Identification

Available NEMA & UL styles: NEMA HP 3 Type ET (250 V, 32–20 AWG) · Type E (600 V, 32–10 AWG) · Type EE (1,000 V, 32–6 AWG) · UL AWM Style 5251 (600 Vac, 250 °C, 24–4/0 AWG)
Standard colours & striping: MIL-STD-104 / NEMA HP 3 solid colours (0–9) and optional helical tracer stripes

Sizes

17 representative configurations across NEMA HP 3 (Types ET, E, EE) & UL AWM Style 5251

Nominal conductor stranding, insulation/wall thickness, overall diameter, mass and max DC resistance at 20 °C.

Dimensions, voltage & electrical
Style · AWG size	Rated voltage	Temp. rating	Stranding (count/AWG)	CSA ≈ mm²	Cond. Ø mm	Wall mm	Nominal OD mm	Mass ≈ kg/km	Max. DC res. (20 °C) Ω/km
ANSI/NEMA HP 3-2021 (MIL-W-16878) · Types ET (250 V), E (600 V) & EE (1,000 V) Pure PTFE
NEMA HP 3 Type ET · 28 AWG	250 V	200/260 °C	7/36	0.089	0.38	0.15	0.69	1.3	209.0
NEMA HP 3 Type ET · 24 AWG	250 V	200/260 °C	19/36	0.241	0.61	0.15	0.91	2.9	79.7
NEMA HP 3 Type ET · 20 AWG	250 V	200/260 °C	19/32	0.616	0.97	0.15	1.27	6.5	30.8
NEMA HP 3 Type E · 26 AWG	600 V	200/260 °C	19/38	0.155	0.48	0.25	0.99	2.6	126.0
NEMA HP 3 Type E · 24 AWG	600 V	200/260 °C	19/36	0.241	0.61	0.25	1.12	3.7	79.7
NEMA HP 3 Type E · 22 AWG	600 V	200/260 °C	19/34	0.382	0.76	0.25	1.27	5.2	49.5
NEMA HP 3 Type E · 20 AWG	600 V	200/260 °C	19/32	0.616	0.97	0.25	1.47	7.5	30.8
NEMA HP 3 Type E · 18 AWG	600 V	200/260 °C	19/30	0.963	1.22	0.25	1.75	11.1	19.0
NEMA HP 3 Type E · 16 AWG	600 V	200/260 °C	19/29	1.23	1.37	0.33	2.03	14.8	14.9
NEMA HP 3 Type E · 12 AWG	600 V	200/260 °C	19/25	3.08	2.18	0.33	2.90	33.4	5.9
NEMA HP 3 Type EE · 20 AWG	1,000 V	200/260 °C	19/32	0.616	0.97	0.38	1.73	9.2	30.8
NEMA HP 3 Type EE · 16 AWG	1,000 V	200/260 °C	19/29	1.23	1.37	0.38	2.21	16.4	14.9
NEMA HP 3 Type EE · 10 AWG	1,000 V	200/260 °C	37/26	4.74	2.90	0.48	3.96	54.5	3.9
UL 758 AWM Style 5251 · 600 Vac · 250 °C · Skived TFE Tape + Glass/Aramid + Fiberglass Braid
UL AWM 5251 · 18 AWG	600 Vac	250 °C	19/30	0.963	1.22	0.76	2.74	18.5	21.6
UL AWM 5251 · 14 AWG	600 Vac	250 °C	19/27	1.94	1.70	0.89	3.48	32.0	10.7
UL AWM 5251 · 10 AWG	600 Vac	250 °C	37/26	4.74	2.90	1.02	4.93	68.0	4.4
UL AWM 5251 · 4 AWG	600 Vac	250 °C	133/25	21.6	6.50	1.52	9.55	265.0	1.0

Typical values for this cable type; dimensions and weights for your order are confirmed in the quotation.
NEMA HP 3 DC resistance values shown are for silver-plated copper (200 °C); nickel-plated copper (260 °C) is available across all sizes.

Reel check

Will it fit your machine?

A first screen using datasheet values. Engineering confirms drum geometry, acceleration and tension with your quotation.

Cable sizeDrum core diameter (mm)

Cable length on drum (m)

Enter your drum core diameterMinimum for this size is about 18 mm

Minimum bending radius: 9 mm
Min. drum core diameter: ≈ 18 mm
Cable weight on drum: 0.8 kg
Outer diameter: 1.5 mm

Indicative only: based on the datasheet outer diameter and 6 × OD bending radius. Current derating for wound layers per DIN VDE 0298-4 is assessed separately.

Quality & approvals

Testing & inspection

Routine tests on every production length, sample and type tests per batch — documented on an EN 10204 3.1 inspection certificate.

ConductorClass 5 stranding
Spark test100 % in-line
Lay-upCores, earth, fillers
SheathingInner, braid / screen, outer
Electrical testsAC voltage, resistance
DimensionsOD, wall thickness
Inspection documents & dispatchDrum & dispatch

Testing & inspection	Test value / reference	Frequency
Routine tests
AC dielectric & high-frequency spark test	1.5 kV (ET), 2.0 kV (E / UL 5251), 3.0 kV (EE) AC dielectric test + 100% spark test	Every spool
Conductor DC resistance check	Verified at 20 °C per NEMA HP 3 and UL 758	Every spool
Sample tests
UL VW-1 / NEMA HP 3 flame test	Self-extinguishing non-flammable PTFE verification	Production lot
Thermal shock & solderability test	No insulation shrinkback or cracking from −90 °C to +260 °C	Production lot

Inspection certificate

Issued with every drum, listing the routine test results for that length.

Product approvals

NEMA HP 3 & UL 5251CE · LVDRoHS · REACH

Company certificates

ISO 9001ISO 14001ISO 45001VDE marks approvalUL / cULCE · LVD / EMC

Marking & supply

Ordering & delivery

Sheath marking

NEMA HP 3-[ET/E/EE] or UL AWM STYLE 5251 250°C 600V

Delivery form: Precision spools, reels and cut-and-stripped leads
Lengths: Standard spool lengths and custom harness schedules
Certificate: EN 10204 3.1 inspection certificate with every dispatch
Quote response: Engineering specification and quote within 2 business hours

Technical documents

Downloads

PDFPTFE High-Temperature Hook-Up Wire (NEMA HP 3 & UL 5251) – technical datasheet17 sizes · construction, technical data, approvals XLSXPTFE Hook-Up Wire (NEMA HP 3 / UL) spec data (Excel)All 17 sizes with dimensions and data, for your BOM or quotation

Revision: 2026-10-20
Updated: 2026-10-20

FAQ

Questions engineers ask first

Not covered here? Send your drawing — an engineer replies within 2 business hours.

What is the difference between NEMA HP 3 Types ET, E and EE?

All three are pure PTFE hook-up wires (formerly MIL-W-16878/4, /5 and /6) differentiated by radial insulation thickness and voltage rating: Type ET has a 0.006 in (0.15 mm) wall for 250 V RMS (32–20 AWG), Type E has a 0.010 in (0.25 mm) wall for 600 V RMS (32–10 AWG), and Type EE has a 0.015 in (0.38 mm) wall for 1,000 V RMS (32–6 AWG).

How does UL AWM Style 5251 differ from NEMA HP 3 PTFE wire?

While NEMA HP 3 is an unbraided single-wall PTFE wire primarily in 32–6 AWG, UL AWM Style 5251 covers heavier appliance and heater power leads from 24 AWG up to 4/0 AWG (600 Vac, 250 °C) using skived virgin TFE tape reinforced with glass-fiber tape or felted aramid and an overall treated fiberglass braid.

When should I specify silver-plated versus nickel-plated copper in PTFE wire?

Silver-plated copper provides the lowest contact and RF skin-effect resistance up to +200 °C. Above +200 °C (up to +250 °C on UL 5251 or +260 °C on NEMA HP 3), specify nickel-plated copper to prevent thermal oxidation.

Does PTFE insulation melt or shrink back during hand soldering?

No. Crosslinked/sintered PTFE has a crystalline transition point of +327 °C and does not melt, drip or shrink back when contacted briefly by a soldering iron in dense electronics chassis.

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PTFE High Temperature Hook-Up Wire

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