New plastics films provide protection for plastics cards

Bayer MaterialScience introduces two new plastics films that provide excellent chemical resistance and improved protection for security and ID plastics cards.

Two new polycarbonate (PC) films, Makrofol* ID Combiflex and Makrofol ID Chemflex have been developed by Bayer MaterialScience for plastics cards. “We developed these two products in response to the increased demand for films that extend the service life of cards exposed to particularly tough conditions,” explains Georgios Tziovaras, an expert on plastics films in the Polycarbonates Business Unit of Bayer MaterialScience.

Makrofol ID Chemflex boasts improved media resistance against a number of substances, including oils, greases, and many types of hydrocarbons. The plastics film is available in thicknesses of between 55 and 300 micrometers. The thin version is ideal for use as an overlay film for plastics cards, such as security passes and company identification (ID) cards that are also exposed to heightened mechanical loads, such as those in the processing and chemical industries.

A soft, elastic material, TPU layer, laminated on Makrofol ID Combiflex for cards exposed to tough conditions provides excellent chemical resistance and improved protection for enclosed hard components, such as antennas and microchips. View photo at right for more detail.

With a white pigment, the new plastics film can also be used for the inside of cards, where its excellent chemical resistance is also an advantage. “It has a higher level of resistance to a number of adhesives and the associated solvents that are often used in the production of chip cards. The card manufacturer thus benefits from much greater processing scope,” explains Tziovaras. A further positive feature of the film is its higher tear strength after notching. This ensures that damage to the plastics film structure caused by laminated components with sharp edges, such as microchips, is kept to a minimum even if the card is bent frequently.

Makrofol ID Chemflex is also available in a variant that can be inscribed using a laser. The resulting marking has as high a contrast as standard laser films from the Makrofol ID range. Its lamination properties are of a similarly high quality. When the new plastics film is laminated with Makrofol ID at high temperature and sufficient pressure, the materials are bonded inseparably. This means the inside of the card can no longer be accessed without causing damage, a fact that helps protect against counterfeiting.

The special feature of Makrofol ID Combiflex is that it has a layer of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), which is applied to one side of the film. TPU is used to simplify the process of embedding hard components, such as antennas made of copper wire or microchips. “Thanks to its properties as a soft, elastic material, TPU encloses the hard components inside the card during the lamination process, thus providing effective long-term protection against damage through bending or pressure,” explains Tziovaras. The excellent chemical resistance of TPU, its high tear and tear propagation resistance help extend the service life of the cards. As with Makrofol ID Chemflex, the good media resistance of the new plastics film widens the processing window for card production.

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