January 10, 2025, 11:14:12 AM
Forum Rules: Read This Before Posting


Topic: Strengthening cellophane - types 165 and 180 - while keeping clear and flexible  (Read 1110 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline nyurone

  • New Member
  • **
  • Posts: 4
  • Mole Snacks: +0/-0
Hello, we are trying to strengthen the clear paper made of cellophane - types 165 (uncoated and thinner) and 180 (coated to increase impermeability and thicker). We want to keep it flexible and foldable, while preventing ripping. We also want it transparent.

These are our initial findings in the PDF but we would like additional comments and feedback to help guide us.

Google Drive Link to the PDF file:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-fx3GxV3B1IRi22c1_SWddWoKFlzg9mg/view?usp=sharing

We are not experts, so we need your help.

Thank you!

P. S. Is there any other archival material(s) (we recently found out that cellophane is not archival) that is pliable/foldable, resistant to tearing, and transparent?

Offline Borek

  • Mr. pH
  • Administrator
  • Deity Member
  • *
  • Posts: 27894
  • Mole Snacks: +1816/-412
  • Gender: Male
  • I am known to be occasionally wrong.
    • Chembuddy
P. S. Is there any other archival material(s) (we recently found out that cellophane is not archival) that is pliable/foldable, resistant to tearing, and transparent?

Define "archival material".

For storing old postcards (and other paper memorabilia) mylar envelopes are often used.
ChemBuddy chemical calculators - stoichiometry, pH, concentration, buffer preparation, titrations.info

Offline nyurone

  • New Member
  • **
  • Posts: 4
  • Mole Snacks: +0/-0
archival as in Fine Art archival quality. Thank you!

Offline nyurone

  • New Member
  • **
  • Posts: 4
  • Mole Snacks: +0/-0
P. S. We did not synthesize the material. Therefore, we do have control over goes in and cannot subtract materials.

Offline nyurone

  • New Member
  • **
  • Posts: 4
  • Mole Snacks: +0/-0
Updated Google Drive link to the results pdf file:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KuMYPjveDh5wrlSrSNW1IVkqpBdPJ8Vw/view?usp=sharing

Additional summary on our tests:

We tried the following methods/applications for cellophane types 165 and 180:

Coating Options
- Microcrystalline Cellulose powder-coating
- MFC – long fibers
- MCC – short fibers
- Methylcellulose (MC) coating
- Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) coating
- Hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) coating
- Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) coating
- Cellulose nanofiber (CNF) coating
- Polyurethane spray coating
- Art Resin (AR)
- Acrylic mediums
- Gloss Medium (GM)
- Clear Gesso (CG)
- Gloss Varnish (GV)
- Gloss Glazing Liquid (GGL)
- Self Leveling Gel (SLG)

Non-coating option
- Hair-drying to heat up the cellophane sheet while it is stretched onto wooden stretcher bars

90% of the results were failure except for hair-drying which was a mixed result.

We are now trying out thin layers of glue to strengthen the cellophane material.
« Last Edit: December 30, 2024, 03:14:01 PM by nyurone »

Offline marquis

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 441
  • Mole Snacks: +38/-3
Can't tell you much about cellophane.  When working with other polymers, we would decrease filler particle size (This usually increased tensile properties, but not always.  You have to go back to instron testing to be sure). then the filler itself.  If you have an RI(refractive index), or can look up the value, if the value of it of the filler and the polymer match, often they can be put together and "blend".  So if the polymer is clear and the reinforcing filler is white, if the RI is the same, the cured blend will often appear clear. Many if, ands, or buts with this.  It definitely takes a lot of playing around with to get everything to behave.  But maybe, matching the RI of the reinforcng filler to the RI of clear cellophane would bean approach to try. You might be able to get a stronger, clear material.

Offline marquis

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 441
  • Mole Snacks: +38/-3
Have you tried amorphous silica ( silica not silicon)?  Its a reinforcing filler ( i.e. the tensile strength of a flat sheet is stronger with the filler in than with it out).  There are always safety issues to deal with.  Those are yours to handle.  But they will be much worse if you try to use crystalline silica instead of amorphous silica.  Good luck!

Sponsored Links