Understanding the Science Behind Tyvek

Manufactured by the DuPont Company, this synthetic material called Tyvek is one of the few plastic products that can be used for a variety of applications. This plastic comes with a paper-like texture, making it highly versatile and usable for many different things. Its most popular use is in construction, with sheets of this material used to protect the surface of buildings while it is being built.

Tyvek is also popularly used by courier companies, with this durable material used to create envelopes and sleeves that are used for delivery purposes. It is also used by CD and DVD companies as protective covers and by those who manufacture medical equipment as protective packaging. These are even used by some industries as lightweight protective clothing.

History of Tyvek

Tyvek was discovered by a researcher working for DuPont named Jim White in 1955. It is said that this material came about due to him observing polyethylene fluff coming out of experiments with piping. This fluff is what he turned into what is now known as Tyvek.

This material was further experimented with and developed into what it is today, which is a very versatile plastic material, made out of high-density polyethylene fibers. It was patented in 1965 and has been in commercial use since 1967. This thermoplastic is so versatile that it can be used in hundreds of different ways, some of which you won’t even believe.

Many Uses of Tyvek

Aside from the earlier mentioned uses of this material, Tyvek can also be used in a whole lot of other ways. Some of these uses include the following:

• Coveralls for painters – the protective quality of this material and its lightweight makeup makes it ideal for painters to use. These allow for freedom of movement while providing the user with ample protection from harmful substances that might be in the paint that they use.

• Wristbands for a variety of uses – if you have been to special events such as concerts and trade fairs where they attached a paper-like wristband on your arm which you cannot tear, this is a Tyvek wristband. Making wristbands out of Tyvek is an ingenious move used by event organizers who want a durable but relatively easy to use and versatile tracking tag for their events. Since the use of stamps or tickets for attendance tracking is easy to duplicate, the use of these wristbands became the norm. This is because Tyvek wristbands are hardly noticeable due to its very light form. These are also very durable since you cannot tear these from your arm without the use of scissors.

• Clothing – as weird as it may sound, there have been clothing lines in the past made with the use of this material. An entire line of clothing was made using this material in the mid-1970s by a company named Fiorucci. It was also made into shorts by American Apparel and is actually still being sold today.

• Legal uses – some countries found the durability of Tyvek very appealing, taking it one step further by using this material in a number of legal ways. For example, in Costa Rica, Tyvek was used to create legal tender. The use of this material to create banknotes was due to the fact that these can last longer than money made using paper since it is waterproof. It was also used in New Zealand for the creation of driver’s licenses from 1986 to 1999.

Conclusion

These many uses of Tyvek show you that it is indeed a versatile material that can be used in many different ways. Its durability has made it ideal for many applications that need its strength. Its flexibility and impermeability has also made it one of the best materials to use for custom wristbands, labels, tags, and packaging.