Detailed Description
What UL3266 Halogen-Free Hookup Wire Does in a Design
UL3266 halogen-free hookup wire is a single-core UL AWM lead rated 300 V and 125 °C, built for wiring inside equipment rather than for fixed installation between panels. Its insulation is irradiated cross-linked XLPE rather than PVC, which is the reason this halogen free wire is specified where smoke density and acid gas matter: control cabinets, appliance interiors, LED driver compartments and other enclosed spaces where a fault should not fill the enclosure with corrosive smoke.
If your drawing calls for a lead that must stay flexible on the assembly bench, strip without fraying, take solder quickly and carry a 125 °C rating at 300 V, this is the size range and construction to design against.
Construction: Tinned Copper Strands Under Irradiated Cross-Linked XLPE
The conductor is stranded oxygen-free tinned copper. Strand count and strand diameter change with the AWG, from 70.10TS at 30 AWG up to 650.25TS at 12 AWG, so a 20 AWG lead carries 210.178TS strands and an 18 AWG lead carries 340.178TS. The bundle is compressed during stranding, which is what keeps the strands together when the insulation is pulled back — a stripped end stays round instead of opening into a fan, so it enters a crimp barrel or solder cup at the intended diameter. The tin coating protects the copper from oxidation between storage and soldering, and lets the lead wet solder quickly.
Over the conductor sits an irradiated cross-linked XLPE wall. Cross-linking happens after extrusion, which locks the wall geometry in place and keeps the insulation thickness uniform around the conductor. That low eccentricity is the mechanical reason the lead can hold a 300 V rating across the whole size range: there is no thin side of the wall to break down first. The compound contains no halogen and produces limited smoke, and the finished surface is smooth and glossy with an outer diameter tolerance of ±0.2 mm.
Electrical and Environmental Ratings at a Glance
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Voltage rating | 300 V |
| Temperature rating | 125 °C |
| Conductor | Stranded oxygen-free tinned copper |
| Insulation | Irradiated cross-linked XLPE, halogen-free, low smoke |
| Configuration | Single core |
| AWG range | 30 AWG to 12 AWG (10 AWG and 8 AWG also available) |
| Flame rating | VW-1 |
| Outer diameter tolerance | ±0.2 mm |
| Environmental compliance | RoHS and NP grade |
| Standard colors | Red, Black, Blue, Green, Yellow, White, Grey, Brown, Orange, Purple |
| Supply | 610 m / 305 m / 100 m spools by size |
UL3266 Size Range, Conductor Build and Spool Lengths
Table 1 lists the published dimensions for each size. These are the figures to place on a harness drawing.
| AWG | Cross-section (mm²) | Outer diameter (mm) | Conductor construction | Temperature | Voltage | Spool |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | 0.05 | 1.1 | 70.10TS | 125 °C | 300 V | 610 m |
| 28 | 0.08 | 1.2 | 70.12TS | 125 °C | 300 V | 610 m |
| 26 | 0.14 | 1.3 | 70.16TS | 125 °C | 300 V | 610 m |
| 24 | 0.22 | 1.4 | 110.16TS | 125 °C | 300 V | 610 m |
| 22 | 0.34 | 1.6 | 170.16TS | 125 °C | 300 V | 610 m |
| 20 | 0.52 | 1.8 | 210.178TS | 125 °C | 300 V | 610 m |
| 18 | 0.85 | 2.1 | 340.178TS | 125 °C | 300 V | 610 m |
| 16 | 1.32 | 2.4 | 260.254TS | 125 °C | 300 V | 610 m |
| 14 | 2.08 | 2.7 | 410.254TS | 125 °C | 300 V | 305 m |
| 12 | 3.19 | 3.2 | 650.25TS | 125 °C | 300 V | 305 m |
Two larger sizes are also produced: 10 AWG with a 1050.254TS conductor at 4.3 mm outer diameter on 305 m spools, and 8 AWG with a 1650.254TS conductor at 5.5 mm outer diameter on 100 m spools.
Where Halogen-Free XLPE Leads Are Specified
Because the compound emits limited smoke and no halogen acid gas, this lead is chosen wherever the wiring sits inside a closed enclosure. Typical placements:
- Appliance internal wiring — heater, motor and control leads inside household and commercial appliances, run close to hot components that a 125 °C rating has to cover.
- Automotive electronics — body and under-dash harness branches where a stranded tinned conductor is needed to survive routing and crimping.
- Industrial control — relay, contactor and terminal-block jumpers inside cabinets, where low smoke keeps the enclosure serviceable.
- LED lighting and LED drivers — secondary-side leads from driver board to light engine, where the driver's internal ambient sits above general-purpose wiring temperatures.
- Heating element leads — connection leads for heating products that operate continuously at the rated temperature.
- Power strips and socket outlet internals — bus and jumper wiring, with ten colors separating live, neutral and earth runs.
- Electronic equipment and ballast wiring — signal and low-current runs that require a UL AWM recognised single-core lead.
Selecting and Installing UL3266 Wire
Start from the AWG the terminal or crimp accepts, then confirm the outer diameter in Table 1 against the grommet, strain relief or cable clamp on the drawing — with a ±0.2 mm tolerance, a 12 AWG lead at 3.2 mm and a 30 AWG lead at 1.1 mm sit at opposite ends of most small connectors. Where current is calculated from the conductor, treat the result as a maximum value and leave roughly 20 % headroom in the design.
The lead strips and cuts by hand or on semi-automatic equipment, and the insulation stays flexible through repeated re-routing on the bench, so short jumpers and tight inside-corner runs can be formed without pre-bending. No published bend-radius figure applies to this product; size the routing to the equipment's own mechanical limits. Keep the rated temperature and voltage in mind when the lead passes near a heat source or shares a bundle with a higher-voltage circuit.
Certification, Compliance and How to Order
The lead is produced as UL AWM style 3266, carries a VW-1 flame rating, and meets RoHS and NP grade environmental requirements. It is available in ten colors, in 610 m spools from 30 AWG to 16 AWG, 305 m spools from 14 AWG to 10 AWG, and 100 m spools at 8 AWG. Cut lengths are quoted on request, so state the AWG, color, cut length and quantity on the enquiry form and a quotation will follow.