3M Cold Shrink Insulator 8426

No. The 8426 is a non-shielded, 1 kV (1000 volt) rated insulator for solid dielectric insulated wire and cable splices. Shielded MV cable needs a shielded cold shrink splice kit matched to the cable's voltage class and shield type, not this tube.

No heat and no tools. It is a cold shrink tube: you position it over the joint and pull the core out, and the EPDM rubber contracts onto the cable on its own. That makes it usable in locations where an open flame is not allowed, and there is no risk of scorching adjacent insulation the way a heat shrink install can.

It is insulation and sealing only, not a mechanical connection. You make the joint first with a connector suited to the conductor, for example a Burndy Hylink long barrel compression splice, then slide the 8426 over the finished barrel to insulate and seal it. The tube is listed for aluminum conductor use.

No, they do different jobs in the same splice. The Burndy Hylink is a long barrel copper compression splice, meaning it is the metallic connector that mechanically joins two conductors and is crimped with a compression tool. The 3M Cold Shrink Insulator 8426 is a cold shrink EPDM rubber sleeve that provides primary insulation over a solid dielectric splice rated to 1000 volts and installs with no tools by pulling the core out. On a typical job you use a compression connector to make the joint and then a cold shrink insulator over it, so the Hylink is a companion item rather than a replacement.

Rated for continuous service from -40 to 90 C (-40 to 194 F), so both ends of that are covered. The EPDM compound contains no chlorides or sulfur, which matters where you do not want those contaminants near conductors or stainless.

Three common uses beyond primary splice insulation: sealing terminal lug barrels, sealing conduit couplings, and sealing conduit-to-cable breakouts. It is one part doing all of those because a single tube covers a wide span of cable cross sections.

The 3M Cold Shrink Insulator 8426 installs with no tools - the EPDM rubber tube is positioned and the core is removed so the sleeve shrinks onto the cable, and it also seals terminal lug barrels, conduit couplings and conduit-to-cable breakouts. A Burndy Hylink long barrel copper compression splice is a crimped connector and requires a compression tool. Crews without a hydraulic crimper on the truck can still complete insulating and sealing work with the 8426.

RoHS 2011/65/EU compliant without exemption, and manufactured in the United States. A regulatory data sheet is published by 3M for submittal packages that need ingredient disclosure.

The 8426-9 is packaged 10 per case. Each tube is a single-conductor cover, so for a three-phase splice you need three per joint.