Sintra
Description
[3A Composites USA] A registered trademark for a lightweight rigid, expanded Polyvinyl chloride board. Sintra® was introduced to North America in 1980. It has been used for the construction of signs and exhibits, screen painting, and as a substrate for mounting photographs.
Four grades of Sintra® are available:
- Sintra: standard product; Bright white, lightweight, low gloss (satin), printable on both sides
- Sintra Eclipse: two layer: Bright white face over black; both with same characteristics as standard Sintra
- Sintra Vers (formerly called ePVC): lighter weight, general purpose, low-gloss finish
- Sintra Construct: Designed for machinability with extra rigidity and screw retention; available in thick gauges
Synonyms and Related Terms
PVC Board
For comparison with alternates, see
Personal Risks
Sintra: [Safety Data Sheet]
Collection Risks
Research by Greg Smith and Michael Samide report that some rigid, unplasticized PVC construction boards give off a sulfur containing heat stabilizer (2-ethylhexyl thioglycolate [2-EHTG]) that can tarnish silver [1]. However, they also reported finding several specific brands of PVC construction board, namely Komacel (Kommerling) and e-PVC (now renamed as Sintra Vers, 3A Composites) are safe for use in exhibition casework as they do not contain 2-EHTG.
Links to Oddy Test results posted on AIC Wiki Materials Database Pages for individual materials below
See also Polyvinyl chloride for additional test result information
° 3A Sintra Tested in 2016
° 3A Composites or Vycom Sintra or Celtec tested in 2014
° 3A Composites Sintra tested in 2012
° White Sintra tested in 2012
° 3/4" Sintra tested in 2012
° Laird Plastics 6mm "Sintra" tested in 2011
° Laird Plastics PVC tested in 2009
Working Properties
Sintra: Fabrication guide
Resources and Citations
- [1] Assessing the Suitability of Unplasticized Poly(Vinyl Chloride) for Museum Showcase Construction, Michael J. Samide and Greg Smith, 2020 Link
- Sintra Material website
- CCI Technical Bulletin 32 - Products Used in Preventive Conservation Link