Expert knowledge from A-Z

The resistance of a (printed) surface to stress from abrasion if two surfaces in contact rub or push against each other.

The accumulation of liquid/gas substances on the surface of a solid object. One substance absorbing another implies a mixture without a chemical reaction.

Additives, also called auxiliary materials, are additional substances that are added to products in small amounts to achieve or improve certain properties. Additives for films are materials that are added to polymers to cause certain changes in the material properties. Many additives are used for thermoplastics to expand the material properties, improve processability, change the appearance or increase resistance.

Adhesion in the area of adhesives/films refers to the bonding of adhesive layers to the component surfaces (e.g. two-film surfaces).

Aluminium foil plus at least one other film web (PP, PE, PET, cellophane or the like); improves the mechanical properties, the barrier (maximum barrier effect), the light protection (opaque).

Additives that reduce the condensation of water on a film in the form of small fog-like drops. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) developed a coating with an anti-fog effect using nanotechnology that is effective at all times. Silicon nano-particles are embedded in a polymeric film which is applied to the surfaces to be treated after a special process. Water vapour also forms on these layers as a clear and transparent film. The layer is nearly maintenance-free and also not very mechanically sensitive.

Antioxidants are used in food products, pharmaceuticals and plastics to prevent the oxidation of sensitive molecules, i.e. reactions with oxygen in the air or other oxidising chemicals. Usually, they function as radical interceptors. Substances that function as antioxidants also occur naturally in food and in the human body. Antioxidants protect the polymers during thermoplastic processing and preserve mechanical properties.