shrink wrapping ... toxic fumes!?!

There are two types of shrink film used in this industry. They are PVC and Polyolefin. Generally speaking PVC is bad for you and the Polyolefin is okay.

The normal way to tell the two types apart is by their feel. The PVC is harder and crinkly in feel to the touch. When you grab a handful of it and crush it in your hand it is like crushing up paper. The Polyolefin is soft and easily squeezes into a ball in your hand. The following are from a couple of web sites discussing the environmental and health problems with PVC or Poly Vinyl Chloride.

&#;Many people do not know the dangers of burning PVC. Burning of PVC produces hydrogen chloride gas in the smoke as well as dioxins and chlorinated furans, two of the most toxic cancer-causing substances known&#;

&#;PVC contains 56% chlorine. When burned, PVC produces large quantities of hydrogen chloride gas. When breathed, this gas combines with water to form hydrochloric acid in the lungs. Dioxins and furans can also be produced. These highly toxic cancer-causing substances are either inhaled directly or are deposited on soil, water and crops which become a part of the food chain.&#;

You are not going to be burning the PVC like would happen in a open fire or flame. However there is a fair amount of burning that takes place when the heat wire burns through the PVC. The smell alone from PVC film is more pungent and foul than the smell coming from Polyolefin. When you switch from PVC to Polyolefin you will immediately notice the improved odor when using it.

Also for heat wire to work properly and not burn excessively on the PVC and the Polyolefin they should be covered with Teflon tape. The Teflon tape prevents the burned gummy part of the shrink wrap from sticking to the wire and burning to a crisp each time the wand is brought down on the film. Also you should frequently take a small piece of corrugated cardboard and slide it along the wire at 45 degrees to scrape off the small bits of film that have attached to the wire and/or the Teflon tape. If there is tape over the wire, the bits of melted film come off on the cardboard scraper easier. Shops often renew the lower Teflon tape on the hold down pad, but generally once the original tape over the wire is burned through they don&#;t bother to replace it.

We quit selling PVC shrink film 10 years ago due to the health problems associated with this the product. Those who switch over to the Polyolefin sometime do not like the tendency for the Polyolefin material to pull together or shrink right after the heat wand is lifted up off the film. PVC will generally stay in a nice long straight line without wanting to shrink in length.

If you are using PVC it should be used with a smoke hood and a vent system to remove the fumes from the work area. There is no way you would be able to use PVC shrink film today in a production operation without the Workers Compensation organization insisting that a venting system be used.

I would make sure that the film you are purchasing is Polyolefin although many major framing suppliers are still selling PVC film. There is a place for PVC films in industry, but not in frame shops.

Alan

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Our latest blog post is a quick primer on shrink wrapping and the full line of equipment Sealer Sales offers for shrink wrapping.

Shrink wrapping is an ideal solution for many types of products in a whole host of industries.  Shrink wrapping provides your package with a crystal clear tamper proof package while protecting your product from moisture and dust.

Shrink wrapping a product

For more information, please visit shrink film for packaging.

• Provides a protective barrier from dust, moisture, fingerprints, etc

• Provides products with a professional and factory fresh appearance

• Bundles products together if selling multiple items as a set

What is Shrink Wrapping?
Shrink wrap is a plastic film that you can wrap around any object.  Heat is then applied to the surface (via heat gun or shrink tunnel), which causes the plastic to shrink. As it shrinks, it conforms to the shape of your object and seals itself.

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