Technical Brief Surface Textures of KYDEX Thermoplastic Sheet For information applicable to KYDEX FST please refer to 300 series technical briefs. TB - 105 Introduction Standard KYDEX Sheet Textures KYDEX LLC offers eight different textures ranging from high-gloss smooth to leatherette. Each texture presents its own unique opportunities and challenges. Textures are embossed into the sheet during the extrusion process so available embossings may be limited based on KYDEX sheet grade thickness or width. Talk with your KYDEX thermoplastic sheet representative for more details. The following is a summary of each texture. P-1 Haircell Best abrasion resistance Excellent for high abuse areas Can tend to have higher metamerism in highly chromatic colours Common texture available for many years P-3 Velour Matte Excellent abrasion resistance Easy to control gloss when formed Most widely specified texture for aircraft components Remains very matte if formed properly and most looks like a painted composite panel P-8 Suede Good abrasion resistance but can show marring in light colours Excellent for textured female molding Great for flat laminations but can gloss up when vacuum formed P-A Smooth Polished high gloss appearance Prone to scratching Cannot be produced in low smoke formulations P-C Level Haircell Leatherette appearance Good scratch resistance Common for high abuse areas Easy to control gloss level when thermoforming 2014 Sekisui Polymer Innovations LLC. All rights reserved. KYDEX is a registered trademark of Sekisui Polymer Innovations LLC. 091614 Technical Brief Surface Textures of KYDEX Thermoplastic Sheet For information applicable to KYDEX FST please refer to 300 series technical briefs. TB - 105 Standard KYDEX Sheet Textures P-E Smooth Nap Similar characteristics to P-8 Suede texture Slightly more embossing compared to P-8 Suede texture P-H Seville Leathercowhide grain type texture Not recommended for deep draw parts due to texture stretc
h Often used against similarly grained leathers P-K Cashmere High abrasion resistance Excellent for flat lamination or shallow draw components Not recommended for deep draw or tight radii due to glossing Texture Characteristics Cleaning KYDEX sheet has excellent chemical resistance and is easily cleaned with many common household cleaners such as fantastik and Formula 409. The texture of KYDEX sheet plays a major role in the ease of cleaning. Shallow textured sheet can easily be cleaned with a soft cloth while a heavier texture may require use of a scrub brush to remove material from texture valleys. For more information on cleaning of KYDEX sheet please refer to Technical Brief 160-A - Cleaning KYDEX Sheet and Technical Brief 160-B - Cleaning and Maintaining KYDEX 510 on our website at www.sekisui.spi.com. Ease of Cleaning P-A Smooth P-8 Suede P-K Cashmere Soft cloth minimum scrubbing P-E Smooth Nap P-3 Velour Matte Soft cloth little scrubbing P-H Seville P-C Level Haircell P-1 Haircell Brush may be necessary to clean valleys AbrasionMar Resistance KYDEX sheet is commonly used in high abuse applications where it is important that the appearance of the sheet is maintained throughout the life of the material. Many of the standard textures have been developed to offer high levels of abrasion and mar resistance providing not only superior durability but also lasting appearance. AbrasionMar Resistance P-H Seville P-1 Haircell P-C Level Haircell P-K Cashmere P-E Smooth Nap P-3 Velour Matte P-8 Suede P-A Smooth 2014 Sekisui Polymer Innovations LLC. All rights reserved. KYDEX is a registered trademark of Sekisui Polymer Innovations LLC. 091614 Technical Brief Texture Characteristics Tooling Marks Texture rolls are produced through an engraving process that uses a machining tool to cut the texture into the face of a cylinder roll. This tool has a specific width which machines multiple sections across the width of the cylinder roll. Points on the engraved cylinder whe
re the tooling sections meet have a faint transition line. These lines leave a faint impression in the sheet surface and are more noticeable in darker coloured sheet. Textures that have tooling marks include P-1 Haircell P-8 Suede P-C Level Haircell P-E Smooth Nap and P-H Seville. P-3 Velour Matte P-K Cashmere and P-A 2014 Sekisui Polymer Innovations LLC. All rights reserved. KYDEX is a registered trademark of Sekisui Polymer Innovations LLC. 091614
