Tyvek what is

Though superficially similar to paper, Tyvek is actually a completely synthetic material. It was first developed by DuPont , and that company still owns the trade name.

It was discovered in , when Jim White, a researcher for DuPont, noticed polyethylene fluff emerging from a pipe in an experimental lab. He instantly recognized the potential of the material, and went on to develop Tyvek for commercial purposes. Tyvek was first trademarked shortly afterwards, in , and saw the first batches available for commercial use. Tyvek material a nonwoven, synthetic substance. At a fundamental level, it is composed of spunbound olefin fibers.

These tiny fibers are 0. After production of the fibers themselves, they are spun and bonded together under great heat and pressure. No binders are used to hold the material together, so it is chemically inert. Tiny perforations remain in sheets of Tyvek, meaning that water vapour is able to permeate thin sheets of the material, but liquid water is not.

Being essentially a thermoplastic, Tyvek returns to a semi-solid state when sufficient heat is applied to it, and this property can be used to bond sheets together. In addition, a variety of bonding adhesives are recommended by DuPont for use with Tyvek, including starch, dextrin, casein, and various forms of glue.

Working with Tyvek is relatively easy, because even though it offers great strength, it can be easily cut and folded. Further, once an incision is made the material naturally resists further tearing, meaning that even when slightly damaged Tyvek retains its integrity. These can be easily done using specialized Tyvek Printers like the Thermaprint 64 , or the hang tag printer.

Though it resembles paper, Tyvek is a plastic and cannot be recycled with paper. Some forms of Tyvek are marked with local and international recycling codes, although support for the recycling of Tyvek varies widely.

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Forgot your password? Retrieve it. If by any chance you spot an inappropriate image within your search results please use this form to let us know, and we'll take care of it shortly. Term » Definition. Word in Definition. Wikipedia 0. Alex US English. David US English. Mark US English. Daniel British. Libby British. Mia British. Karen Australian. Hayley Australian. One such material is Tyvek, which is a brand of high-density fibers that have been flashspun and offer a high tensile strength while able to filter out small gas particles.

It is used in fields such as medicine packaging. Tyvek looks like paper, with the same coloring and texture. It can even be written on. However, it is actually a plastic made of high-density polyethylene fibers.

The material is very strong and it's very hard to tear. However, sharp instruments like scissors can cut through the material. Tyvek is pretty easy to identify when you know what to look for. Tyvek has a number of features that make it ideal for the applications for which it is used. For one, it is a lightweight material that makes it great for use in envelopes and packaging, because it's easier to ship and move. It is slightly thin, allowing water vapor to pass through it, but not liquid water.

It is also tough for its thickness and weight, which means it can stand up to some abuse. It is highly flammable, however, just like paper.