PVC Boards
Description
Lightweight rigid or flexible foamed boards made of Polyvinyl chloride. Most have sandwich-like structures of smooth outer skin and interior fine-cell foam.
Examples of some types of PVC boards are:
| Product name | company | Color | density | Shore hardness | max service temp (deg C) | Coefficient of linear expansion (mm/m-k) | water absorption (%) | min ; max thickness (mm) | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FOREX® Classic | 3A Composites | white | 0.7 | 40-44 | 55 | 0.07 | <1 | 2 ; 19 | standard product; PE film on one side |
| FOREX® Print | 3A Composites | white | 0.5 | >32 | 55 | 0.07 | <1 | 2 ; 19 | more economical; less rigid and resistant; PE film on one side |
| FOREX® Color | 3A Composites | 9 colors | 0.6 | 37 | 55 | 0.05 | <1 | 3 ; 8 (10, 19 black only) | cannot be used outdoors; PE film on one side |
| KomaCel® | Kommerling | 0.55-0.7 | 55-77 | 56 | <0.08 | <0.2 | 4 ; 30 | standard product | |
| KomaTex® | Kommerling | w/b | ~0.6 | 48-55 | 60 | <0.08 | <0.3 - 3.0 | 1 ; 25 (white), 2 ; 19(black) | free foamed sheet, (no outer skin) |
| KomaLite® | Kommerling | w/b | 0.5 | 58 | 3 ; 6 | more economical for of KoamTex | |||
| Sintra | 3A Composites | 9 colors | 0.5-0.9 | 46 | 1 ; 12.7 | standard product, low gloss; has two release liners - one on each side | |||
| Sintra Vers (formerly ePVC) | 3A Composites | w/b | 3 ; 6 | more economical and versatile | |||||
| Sintra Construct | 3A Composites | w/b | 6 ; 19 | designed for fabrication | |||||
| Celtec | 0.58 | 55 |
Synonyms and Related Terms
foam sheet; foam board
Commercial products: [Kommerling, USA] KomaCel® Plus; KomaTex®; KomaLite® [3A Composites USA] Sintra; Sintra Vers (formerly ePVC); Sintra Construct [3A Composites, Airex AG, Switzerland] FOREX® Color; FOREX® Classic; FOREX® Print [Palram] Palight
Applications
- Graphic substrates (signs)
- Case interior elements: mount making (risers, fabric wrapped backers, decks), labels
- Storage: open shelves, trays (not in proximity to sensitive objects)
Personal Risks
- Harmful to health when inhaling or ingesting dust and vapors during unpacking, sawing, grinding and thermoforming.
- Ensure good ventilation and dust extraction on processing machines and at other places where dust may develop.
- Hazardous thermal decomposition products: Hydrochloric acid (HCl), Carbon dioxide (CO2), Carbon monoxide (CO)
Collection Risks
- Some PVC board products pass the Oddy test, while some fail.
- Some PVC boards pose risk to sulfide-sensitive materials and possibly to materials sensitive to acetic acid.
- Some rigid, unplasticized PVC construction boards give off a sulfur containing heat stabilizer (2-ethylhexyl thioglycolate [2-EHTG]) that can tarnish silver (publication forthcoming). Other specific brands of PVC construction board, namely Komacel (Kommerling) and e-PVC (3A Composites) are safe for use in exhibition casework as they do not contain 2-EHTG.
- KomaCel is more recently approved for permanent use (vs KomaTex).
- KomaTex has a heat stabilizing component which leaches out over time.
Working Properties
All are: fire retardant; can be cut, machined, nailed, glued, painted, printed; not biodegradable but may be recycled in some locations.