When various resins are combined with plasticizers, the result is plastisol. As a compound, plastisol is used to increase the fluid properties of the resin. The resin itself is usually PVC, polyvinyl chloride which is a plastic polymer containing a series of various vinyl groups. When the particles have been blended with the plasticizer, the resulting compound can be manipulated; it can be dissolved, heated as well as molded. The resulting material is often used for plastisol transfers as a textile ink used in silk screening as well as a product that can be molded and shaped.
Plastisol transfers are commonly produced by silk screening, these textile inks are great as they require no further washing after the printing process and the ink is not water soluble. There is little to be concerned with when it comes to safety, with a health hazard rating of only one, it is considered to be only the slightest bit hazardous. There are few hazardous solvents and the plastisol is considered to be low in flammability.
Plastisol transfers are used extensively for printing T-Shirts, the primary concern is that the material can withstand the heat required to cure it and that the fabric that it is being printed on is porous enough to allow the material to bind. Plastisol is not like dye, it does not penetrate the fibers, rather it bonds to the fibers, forming a coating around them; this is the primary reason why the fabric must be porous enough to provide a strong grip.
There are other uses for plastisol other than to make heat transfer screens for use on T-Shirts. Plastisol can be formed easily into a liquid, which in turn can be poured into a mold and left to cool. When it cools, it is rigid but retains a degree of flexibility, this property makes it ideal for use as a protective cover and it is often used in machine shops to provide protection to sensitive instruments such as plug gauges and thread gauges used in quality assurance.
Plastisol is also used extensively for spin casting, a process whereby very detailed molded products are produced. The plastisol in its liquid form is introduced to a steel mold which is rotated at high speeds; the centrifugal force presses the liquid into all the minute spaces in the mold. The molded plastisol can then be heated and cured.
Custom made plastisol transfers are as easy as one, two, three when you work with Gulfside Heat Transfers. For business or for fun, let your imagination run wild and create your own heat transfer designs. Visit us online for more details domain URL