Bayer MaterialScience (BMS, Leverkusen / Germany; www.bayerbms.com) has introduced an outer PC film overlay for identity cards, such as drivers’ licenses, credit cards and passports. “Makrofol” TP 320 is claimed to be more resistant to scratching in everyday use, while the gloss and transparency of the card surface are maintained for longer. This increases the card’s service life and security against counterfeiting and misuse, as security features inside the card such as passport photos, signatures, personal data, holograms and kinegrams remain more readily identifiable over a longer period, BMS said. The material has achieved a very good rating of “≥ HB” in the DIN pencil hardness test.

Georgios Tziovaras, films specialist at BMS, said: “The special feature of this transparent film is that it can be laminated under high pressure and at temperatures of up to 190 °C, which are typically encountered when manufacturing these types of cards. This eliminates both cracks in the hard coat and other surface defects, something that was not previously possible with polycarbonate films with scratch-resistant coatings.” BMS said one of the strengths of the overlay film is the flexibility of the hard coat. Cards made of “Makrofol” can be bent through 180° without damaging the scratch-resistant coating. The film is available in a thickness of 105 micrometers.