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Product

instrumentation cable seriesAISI 304 Stainless Steelk ≈ 0.25 W/(m·K) @ 4.2 K32 AWG & 36 AWG Polyimide

WSL-32 / WSL-36 Austenitic Stainless-Steel Polyimide-Insulated32 & 36 AWG AISI 304 stainless-steel polyimide-insulated ultra-low-heat-leak cryo wire

WSL-32 (32 AWG / 0.202 mm) and WSL-36 (36 AWG / 0.127 mm) Austenitic AISI 304 Stainless-Steel Cryogenic Lead Wire insulated with heavy aromatic Polyimide (NEMA MW 16-C) enamel—providing the lowest thermal conductivity of any metallic.

+240 °C Polyimide ML
UHV < 10⁻¹¹ mbar Bakeable
ASTM A580 / NEMA MW 16-C
High Tensile 650 MPa
Order designation
WSL-36 (36 AWG AISI 304)
Insulated Ø
0.152 mm
DC R @ 295 K
56.6 Ω/m
DC R @ 4.2 K
39.8 Ω/m
Thermal k @ 4.2 K
0.25 W/m·K
All sizes (2)
Request a quoteDatasheetWhatsApp
Engineering reply in 2 business hoursCut-to-length export drumsEN 10204 3.1 certificate per drum
Conductor alloy
AISI 304 (18-8)
Austenitic stainless steel
Insulation
Polyimide MW16-C
Heavy aromatic ML enamel
Wire gauges
32 & 36 AWG
0.202 mm & 0.127 mm bare Ø
Thermal k @ 4K
0.25 W/m·K @ 4K
15 W/(m·K) @ 300 K (ultra-low)
Resistivity
0.72 µΩ·m (295K)
0.50 µΩ·m @ 4.2 K
Temp. range
10 mK to +240 °C
UHV bakeout & radiation immune

Typical values for this cable type, based on ASTM A580 (AISI 304) / NEMA MW 16-C / NASA SP-R-0022A — confirmed in the datasheet and quotation for your order.

Application fit

Is WSL-32 / WSL-36 right for your machine?

Delivers the minimum possible conductive heat leak between room temperature (300 K) and 4 K / sub-Kelvin stages for high-impedance voltage sense taps, capacitive level/dilatometer bridges, piezoelectric nanopositioners and radiation-hardened UHV manipulator wiring.

Switchgear & control cabinet wiring

Suitable

Ideal for high-impedance voltage sense leads (V+/V-), gates and piezo actuators where 22–56 Ω/m series resistance is negligible.

Fixed installation

Suitable

High tensile strength (≥ 650 MPa) prevents wire snapping across free-hanging UHV sample manipulators and thermal-contraction spans.

Furnace, kiln & high-temp zone

Suitable

Aromatic Polyimide (ML) enamel survives +240 °C UHV chamber bakeout and > 10 MGy gamma radiation.

Energy chain / drag chain

Not suitable

Fine 32–36 AWG solid cryogenic instrumentation wire; not for industrial machinery drag chains.

Use PUR-HF Drag-Chain Cable
Typical machinesSub-Kelvin Adiabatic Demagnetization & Dilution FridgesSuperconducting Magnet Quench Voltage TapsUHV Scanning Probe (STM / AFM) Piezo Scanner LeadsCryogenic Capacitive Dilatometers & LHe Level ProbesSynchrotron & Beamline UHV Sample Stage Harnesses

Construction

Layer by layer

WSL-32 / WSL-36 showing solid annealed austenitic AISI 304 (UNS S30400) stainless-steel conductor and concentric pinhole-free Heavy Polyimide (NEMA MW 16-C / Kapton-class ML) enamel insulation.

123
Schematic, not to scale — generated from the layer data
#LayerMaterial & reference
1Solid annealed AISI 304 austenitic stainless-steel wirePrecision drawn, solution-annealed AISI 304 (18 % Cr, 8–10 % Ni, < 0.08 % C, balance Fe) solid wireLowest thermal conductivity of any non-superconducting ductile metal wire
2Heavy aromatic Polyimide (NEMA MW 16-C) enamelMulti-pass cured aromatic Polyimide (ML) enamel (13–18 µm wall thickness, Natural Amber colour)Withstands ≥ 1,000 V rms breakdown, +240 °C UHV bakeout & 10 MGy radiation
3Thermal-anchoring protective enamel overcoatCryogenic varnish-compatible cured Polyimide / Formvar protective topcoatBonds to OFHC copper heat-sink bobbins with GE 7031 or Stycast

WSL-32 (32 AWG · 0.202 mm Bare Ø)

22.4 Ω/m (295 K) AISI 304 stainless-steel polyimide wire for rugged UHV and magnet voltage taps

WSL-36 (36 AWG · 0.127 mm Bare Ø)

56.6 Ω/m (295 K) ultra-fine AISI 304 stainless-steel polyimide wire for sub-microwatt 4 K → 50 mK leads

Technical data

Ratings & operating limits

Typical values: Typical values for this cable type, based on ASTM A580 (AISI 304) / NEMA MW 16-C / NASA SP-R-0022A. Values for your order are confirmed in the datasheet and quotation.

Electrical

DC resistance @ 295 K
22.4 Ω/m (WSL-32) · 56.6 Ω/m (WSL-36)
DC resistance @ 77 K / 4.2 K
16.2 Ω/m @ 77 K · 15.8 Ω/m @ 4.2 K (WSL-32) | 40.9 / 39.8 Ω/m (WSL-36)
Dielectric breakdown
≥ 1,000 V rms (NEMA MW 1000 foil/twist test)
Thermal EMF vs Copper
≈ 3.0 to 4.4 µV/K (@ 300 K)

Thermal

Operating temperature
10 mK (-273.14 °C) to +240 °C (513 K) continuous
Thermal conductivity (304 SS)
15.0 W/(m·K) @ 300 K · 7.9 W/(m·K) @ 77 K · 0.25 W/(m·K) @ 4.2 K
Thermal integral (300K→4K)
≈ 3,060 W/m (half that of Phosphor-Bronze, ~130× lower than Cu)

Mechanical

Bare conductor diameter
0.202 mm (32 AWG / WSL-32) · 0.127 mm (36 AWG / WSL-36)
Insulated outer diameter
0.231 mm (WSL-32) · 0.152 mm (WSL-36)
Tensile strength (annealed)
650 to 850 MPa (high resistance to handling breakage)

Resistance

UHV outgassing
TML < 0.5 %, CVCM < 0.05 % per NASA SP-R-0022A (+240 °C bakeable)
Radiation resistance
Polyimide ML + 304 SS withstands > 10 MGy (1,000 Mrad) gamma
Chemical immunity
Inert to all cryostat solvents, ketones, alcohols & epoxies

Reference standards

Stainless wire standard
ASTM A580 / A580M (UNS S30400 Austenitic Stainless Steel)
Enamel standard
NEMA MW 1000 (MW 16-C Heavy Aromatic Polyimide)
RoHS & REACH
2011/65/EU & EC 1907/2006 compliant

Identification

Enamel colour
Natural translucent golden-amber Polyimide finish
Customs tariff (HS)
8544.1900
Spool packaging
Supplied on 15 m, 30 m, 100 m and 300 m UHV-clean spools

Sizes

2 standard WSL-32 & WSL-36 Stainless-Steel Cryogenic Wire configurations

AWG gauge, bare/insulated diameter, DC resistance from 295 K to 4.2 K, and 4.2 K thermal conductivity.

Dimensions & cryogenic properties
Order designationAWG & bare ØInsul. Ø
mm		R @ 295K
Ω/m		R @ 4.2K
Ω/m		k @ 4.2K
W/m·K		Enquiry
AISI 304 Stainless-Steel Polyimide Cryogenic Lead Wires
WSL-32 (32 AWG AISI 304)32 AWG · 0.202 mm Bare Ø · Polyimide0.23122.415.80.25
WSL-36 (36 AWG AISI 304)36 AWG · 0.127 mm Bare Ø · Polyimide0.15256.639.80.25
  • Typical values for this cable type; dimensions and weights for your order are confirmed in the quotation.
  • Can be supplied as single wire (WSL-32 / WSL-36) or custom twisted pairs (WDT-SS-32 / WDT-SS-36).

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.

  1. ConductorClass 5 stranding
  2. Spark test100 % in-line
  3. Lay-upCores, earth, fillers
  4. SheathingInner, braid / screen, outer
  5. Electrical testsAC voltage, resistance
  6. DimensionsOD, wall thickness
  7. Inspection documents & dispatchDrum & dispatch
Testing & inspectionTest value / referenceFrequency
Routine tests
100 % NEMA MW 16-C high-voltage pinhole & DC resistance testZero pinholes per 30 m and DC R within ±3 % of ASTM A580 specEvery manufactured spool
Sample tests
Tensile strength & elongation verificationTensile strength ≥ 650 MPaPer production lot
+240 °C UHV bakeout + 4.2 K liquid helium thermal shock cycleZero Polyimide delamination and ≥ 1,000 V rms breakdown retentionQualification test

Inspection certificate

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

Product approvals

ASTM A580 AISI 304NEMA MW 16-C PolyimideNASA SP-R-0022A UHV Grade

Company certificates

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

Marking & supply

Ordering & delivery

Sheath marking

Spool label: TEBAOFLEX WSL-32 / WSL-36 304SS POLYIMIDE CRYO
Delivery form
Fumigated wooden drums, steel reels or precision spools
Standard lengths
500 m · 1000 m (or custom cut/spooled lengths)
MOQ
100 m (standard) · 500 m (custom)
Lead time
2–4 weeks ex-works
Incoterms
EXW, FOB, CIF, DAP

Technical documents

Downloads

PDFWSL-32 / WSL-36 Austenitic Stainless-Steel Polyimide-Insulated – technical datasheet2 sizes · construction, technical data, approvalsXLSXWSL-32 / WSL-36 spec data (Excel)All 2 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.

Why does AISI 304 Stainless Steel (WSL-32/36) have even lower thermal conductivity than Manganin or Phosphor-Bronze?
High-alloy Cr-Ni austenitic lattice disorder scatters both electrons and lattice phonons strongly across the entire 300 K to 4 K range. At 4.2 K, AISI 304 has a thermal conductivity of ~0.25 W/(m·K) (compared to ~0.5 W/m·K for Manganin and ~2.2 W/m·K for Phosphor-Bronze), cutting conductive heat leak to the lowest level achievable with a ductile metal wire.
How do you solder or terminate AISI 304 Stainless-Steel cryogenic wire?
Because stainless steel has a tenacious chromium-oxide passive film, standard rosin flux will not wet it. First strip the Polyimide (ML) enamel mechanically with precision carbide stripping blades or 600-grit abrasive, then either (a) tin the bare stainless steel using an orthophosphoric-acid stainless flux (and thoroughly wash off all acid residue with DI water + isopropanol), or (b) use gold-plated crimp pins or spot-welding.
Is AISI 304 stainless steel completely non-magnetic at 4 K?
Solution-annealed AISI 304 is austenitic (paramagnetic at 300 K), but heavy cold-drawing and cooling to 4 K can induce weak martensitic/antiferromagnetic susceptibility (μr ≈ 1.02–1.05). For experiments immediately adjacent to a SQUID pickup coil where strictly zero magnetic susceptibility is mandatory, choose Phosphor-Bronze (WDT / WQT).
Why is Polyimide (NEMA MW 16-C) used on WSL-32/36 instead of Polyurethane-Nylon?
WSL-32 and WSL-36 are frequently used in Ultra-High Vacuum (UHV < 10⁻¹⁰ mbar) surface-science manipulators and beamlines that undergo 48-hour +200 °C bakeouts. Aromatic Polyimide (ML) has near-zero UHV outgassing up to +240 °C and > 10 MGy radiation resistance.

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WSL-32 / WSL-36 Austenitic Stainless-Steel Polyimide-Insulated

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