Inks, such as solvent-based inks, water-based inks, UV inks, lettering enamels, etc., can be used on IntePro®. Since the ink selection is related to the printing process and application, consultation with ink suppliers is highly recommended.
IntePro® can be joined with different substrates with hot melt glues, pressure sensitive tapes, water and solvent-based adhesives. Adhesives, such as polyurethane (PU), epoxy, ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), polyethylene (PE), etc., were used to join IntePro® to different substrates with good bonding. The selection of adhesive for IntePro® is related to the other joining substrate, application, process etc., consultation with adhesive suppliers is strongly suggested.
Plastic material degrades outdoors and becomes brittle and cracks due to the UV rays in the sunlight. The length of life is related to local weather and varies in different geographical locations. Regular white PP IntePro® sheet of 4 mm in thickness was tested according to SAE J1960 and did not become brittle after 2,500 hours, which corresponded to one (1) year outdoor exposure in Miami, FL.
IntePro® is made of polypropylene (PP) or polyethylene (PE) materials, which are very stable and inert. We are not aware of any out-gasing problems of IntePro®. We have customers using IntePro® for the photo frame application in which out-gasing is a crucial concern. To the best of our knowledge, we have not heard any complaints due to out-gasing.
RoHS directive has stated that electrical and electronic equipment must not contain lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs) or polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). In review of the components in the production of IntePro®, none of the above chemicals, which are specified in the RoHSdirective, is added in the production.
The test of NCHRP 350 is for an entire traffic device. IntePro® has been used as parts of the traffic device, such as three-way barrier, and the device passes the NCHRP 350.
It is true that the surface treatment of IntePro® decays gradually but the speed is slow. The duration of surface treatment is also related to the storage of IntePro® sheets. Grease, water, dust, direct sunlight, etc. on the surface of IntePro® may reduce and expedite the decay the treatment level. It has been observed that well-packed IntePro® sheets, which have been stored in the warehouse without direct sunlight for six (6) months, can be excellently printed or glued.
A good indicator for brittle temperature of plastics is the glass transition temperature at which the plastic material turns to glassy state. The glass transition temperatures of PP and PE are about –20oC (-4oF) and –80oC (-112oF), respectively. Therefore, PE IntePro® may be a better option for application, which needs rough handling, at extreme low temperature.
PP IntePro® can be painted with spray paints for plastics, which can be obtained in regular hardware stores. For PE IntePro®, it is suggested to roughen the surface and test the bonding of the paint before usage
A utility knife can be easily used to cut IntePro® of thin gauge. For IntePro® of thick gauge, a power saw may be a better option. IntePro® can be also cut with converting equipment, such as guillotine, die cutting machine, etc. It is suggested that users make their own trials and evaluations to determine the best equipment for their own purposes and applications.
IntePro® sheets are thick and the air spaces in the flutes impede the heat transfer through the sheets for welding. In ultrasonic welding, the welding heat is produced by mechanically hammering or rubbing the plastic materials together at high frequency. Therefore, ultrasonic welding a very efficient process to weld IntePro®.
Well packed IntePro® sheets stored in a regular environment generally do not grow mildew.
