simple but pointless question perhaps about cable ties
 

I laid awake wondering about this for several nights :(

Cable ties : white or black ? Which last best in sunlight out doors in all weathers?

See pointless :confused1:

I am a retired Lineman - Cable Splicer and I never saw any cable ties other that black used outside.
After 30 years I have not seen them fail.

Black are UV-resistant, white are usually not.

Interesting question. I just had numerous cable ties of various sizes fail in 40 degree heat in Morocco. By fail, I mean while trying to apply them to the task at hand they snapped, I presume that they had become brittle from the heat.

They were stored under the seat or in the panniers and not in direct sunlight and they were all black.

It could, of course, be something to do with the quality of the items? doh

I know some were from Halfords, but I can't be sure that they were all from there. As an aside, all those already in place keeping wiring neat have not perished. :thumbup1:

Cable Ties
 

I've been an Electrician for the past 33 years and there have been numerous debates regarding the quality of cable ties.

Black cable ties were always stipulated for use in areas that were exposed to UV light as they were more UV stable. This was achieved by the plastic containing Carbon Black (soot from burning hydrocarbons) that would slow down dramaitically the absorbtion of UV light into the plastic and therefore slow down the degredation process.

There was however a time not so long ago when black cable ties were just that, black cable ties! This began when some companies started getting their products manufactured in China. They were in fact made from normal white or opaque PVC that had be coloured black by a dye, not Carbon Black. The cable ties would not last for any lenghth of time in the sun before they would become brittle.

There are a number of chemical additives now that reputable companies use for UV stabalising. Each additive works in varying ways to prevent the penetration of UV light into the plastic.

Now, within the electrical insdustry, I only purchase high quality products that can verify that they are indeed using additives that are UV stabalising. Its either that or I use stainless steel cable ties. Stainless steel ties are far more expensive (approx AU$2 each) but there are no worries about how long they will last.

Marty

wow :eek:

I honestly did not expect a reply to this thread!

Its interesting as I would have said "white" simply based on the fact it reflects more light. I have seen various colours and know for a fact the red ones don't last very long at all.

Looks like black is they way to go. Flamin shame I got the white ones :oops2:

Is this a great website, or what?

Black. The UV stable plastics are usually black.

As an alternative to cable ties ...
Plastic hose clamps ...

Flexi Clamp - AIMS

Easier to undo, wider band, same cut to length. beer

Oh come on, every schoolboy has heard of carbon black!
:innocent:


It certainly beats UK TV.

"Oh come on, every schoolboy has heard of carbon black!"

Of course, yes, but my understanding of the use of carbon black is to aid the dispersal of "heat" in uses such as tyres for example, and to some extent might be true of a black cable tie too. The issue here with white or black ties is not specifically based on heat. more the UV "light" which is actually electromagnetic radiation.( learnt that at school :smartass: ) But clearly there is another important fact influencing the results: that being which have additives to make them UV stable and which don't. Black or white? I think the problem might be the origin of manufacture and lack of "ingredients" listed on the pack!

Next time I go to the electrical supplier I will be asking for ties with added UV stabilisers for sure !


What a FAB forum indeed, and yeah miles better than TV !

That was just a "tongue in cheek" to myself for not paying enough attention in school, many many years ago.
All I remember, I think, is carbon black coming off burning candles and the like when the flame is held close to, say, a sheet of glass. There again, we used to play around with all kinds of stuff that the health and safety brigade would not permit now.

Normal velcro (hook and loop) does not work so well when it is dirty and wet (think mud). You can get various other kinds, the 'best' for wet conditions would be 'mushroom' type - all plastic .. used to hold some car panels on! It is very strong - great adhesion. All about 3M Dual Lock for more info ... that says it works better at high temperatures too.

How is the entertainment ? :)

White cable ties
 

White cable ties on my boat last about a year in the sun. It's a replacement job every year as black against the white background wouldn't look great. I used black against part of the roller mechanism (still exposed to the same sunlight) and the original one I used is still there since 2009. Can't speak for the GS as they're all black anyway.

Moss

In my industry (aviation), special 'high temperature' cable ties are available for use in engine nacelles and other areas that can get very hot. Although I don't think that there is a universal specification for what colour these are supposed to be, all the ones I have seen have been a very pale, translucent greenish colour.

I used some of these specification cable ties to install an auxiliary wiring harness on my motorcycle about 10 years ago, and they are still holding up very well - no evidence of degradation at all, regardless of location (exposed to sun or not).

I think that you might need to go to a specialty vendor such as Aviall to get them, though.

I think fellow forum member Quandary identified the key issue in his post above - if you purchase cable ties manufactured by a reputable company (for example, Panduit, although I am not suggesting that they are the only reputable company out there), you will probably get a far longer service life out of them than buying 'no-name' products.

Michael