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Tyvek

Product type	Flashspun nonwoven HDPE fiber
Owner	DuPont
Country	United States
Introduced	April 1967; 57 years ago (1967-04)
Related brands	YUPO synthetic paper
Markets	Construction, Packaging and labeling
Tagline	What do you need to protect?
Website	dupont.com/Tyvek

Tyvek (/ˈtaɪ.vɛk/) is a brand of synthetic flashspun high-density polyethylene fibers. The name Tyvek is a registered trademark of the American multinational chemical company DuPont, which discovered and commercialized Tyvek in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

Tyvek's properties—such as being difficult to tear but easily cut, and waterproof against liquids while allowing water vapor to penetrate—have led to it being used in a variety of applications. Tyvek is often used as housewrap, a synthetic material used to protect buildings during construction, or as personal protective equipment (PPE).

History

Tyvek is a nonwoven product consisting of spun bond olefin fiber. It was first discovered in 1955 by a researcher for the DuPont textile company working in an experimental lab, who noticed a type of white fluff coming out of a pipe. That fluff was a form of polyethylene, which DuPont requested a patent for within a year of the discovery. After technologies improved during the next few years, in 1959 DuPont discovered that when the fluff was spun at high speeds it produced a durable fabric that could be cut with a blade. While the product Tyvek was used since 1959, DuPont did not trademark the actual brand until 1965, making it available for commercial purposes in April 1967. By 1970, Tyvek had reached the mainstream construction industry on both a national and global scale. Its products were often used for the construction of houses due to its ability to keep out liquid, while allowing vapor through. In 1972, DuPont released Tyvek packaging for sterile instruments that were to be used by surgeons and doctors in the medical field.

21st century

In 2017, the DuPont company merged with another chemical company, The Dow Chemical Company to form DowDuPont. DowDuPont currently manufactures Tyvek at the Spruance plant in Richmond, Virginia, and in Sandweiler-Contern, Luxembourg. In 2018, DowDuPont announced plans to expand the Tyvek production capacity of the Sandweiler-Contern factory.

Scientific characteristics and properties

Adhesion and bonding

To bond Tyvek to both itself and a variety of substrates, DuPont recommends starch, dextrin, casein, and animal-based adhesives over most synthetic-based adhesives, emphasizing the effectiveness of water-based and quick-drying glues. DuPont also claims that the following adhesives are highly effective:

• Ethylene/vinyl acetate
• Acrylic pressure-sensitive tape
• Solvent-based single-component polyurethane
• Hot glue

Heat sealing can be used to melt Tyvek and cause it to bond to itself, but this form of bonding tends to create puckers in the otherwise flat material. Dielectric bonding can be effective in some circumstances, as is ultrasonic welding.

Recycling

Though Tyvek superficially resembles paper (for example, it can be written and printed on), it is plastic, and it cannot be recycled with paper. Some Tyvek products are marked with the #2 resin-code for HDPE, and can be collected with plastic bottles as part of some municipal curbside recycling programs. DuPont runs a program in the United States where disposable clothing, coveralls, lab coats, medical packaging and other non-hazardous Tyvek disposable garments can be recycled, as well as providing a mail-in recycling program for envelopes.

As plastic bag recycling has become more prevalent in the United States, the American Chemistry Council has recommended that plastic film drop-off recycling locations should be able to accept Tyvek.

Properties of Tyvek

According to DuPont's website, Tyvek fibers are 0.5–10 μm (2.0×10–0.000394 in) (compared to 75 μm (0.0030 in) for a human hair). The nondirectional fibers (plexifilaments) are first spun and then bonded by heat and pressure, without binders.

Tyvek is also:

• Lightweight
• Has a Class 1 flammability rating. "When exposed to a flame, Tyvek (R) shrinks away rapidly. If the flame is made to follow the shrinking sheet, Tyvek (R) will melt at 275 F (135 C)" and will burn at 750°F (400°C)
• Chemical-resistant
• Dimensionally stabilized
• Opaque
• Has a neutral pH
• Tear-resistant

Uses

Construction/engineering

• Large sheets of Tyvek are frequently used as housewrap to provide an air barrier between the outer cladding of a structure and the frame, insulation, etc., allowing water vapor to pass but restricting air infiltration.
• Tyvek was used to cover and protect the Reaction Control System (RCS) thruster ports from water and debris, while the shuttle stack was exposed on the launchpad during the latter years of the Space Shuttle program. The Tyvek covers were dislodged shortly after ignition and before the shuttle cleared the tower, posing no strike risk as the shuttle was travelling below 100 mph (160 km/h).
• Tom Sachs used Tyvek for the outer shell of the spacesuits used in his Space Program series of artworks.

Shipping

• Tyvek is used by the United States Postal Service for some of its Priority Mail and Express Mail envelopes.
• FedEx also uses it for some of its document envelopes.

Government use

• New Zealand used Tyvek for its driver's licences from 1986 to 1999.

Banknotes

• Costa Rica (solely their 20 colones bank note, Z series), the Isle of Man, and Haiti have made banknotes from Tyvek. These banknotes are no longer in circulation and have become collectors' items.

Fashion/personal use

• Race bibs, or race numbers are often produced on Tyvek paper, so they are less likely to rip during competition.
• Tyvek is often used in garment and other textile labeling due to high durability and washability.
• Tyvek wristbands are used at festivals, conventions, and events where admission and security are concerns, as well as hospitals, resorts, nightclubs, schools, and reunions.
• In 2011, fashion retailer and manufacturer American Apparel included white Tyvek shorts as part of its range.
• In 1976, fashion house Fiorucci made an entire collection out of Tyvek.
• The ultralight backpacking community has begun to use Tyvek for the construction of extremely light yet durable backpacks. In 2012, The Open Company released a foldable city map made of one of the stiffer variants of Tyvek.
• Increasingly, reused Tyvek material is being used by home crafters. Protective sleeves for CDs and DVDs, tote bags, and origami wallets also use Tyvek-containing materials.
• Tyvek is also used as a durable fabric in shoes.

Medical

• Tyvek is extensively used for laboratory and medical packaging as the material withstands conditions such as gamma irradiation or ethylene oxide gas which are used to sterilize equipment and surgical devices.
• NSW Police, Australia uses Tyvek overalls to preserve the integrity of forensic evidence at a crime scene, while also protecting "the wearer from the risk of exposure to biological substances, dirt and liquid splashes."

Personal protective equipment (PPE)

• Tyvek coveralls are one-piece garments used for personal protective equipment. They are usually white, commonly worn by mechanics, oil industry workers, painters, insulation installers, and laboratory and cleanroom workers where disposable, one-time use coverall is needed. They are also used for some light HAZMAT applications, such as asbestos and radiation work, but do not provide the protection of a full hazmat suit. Tychem is a sub-brand of Tyvek rated for a higher level of liquid protection, especially from chemicals. DuPont makes Tyvek clothing in different styles from laboratory coats and aprons to complete head-to-toe coveralls with hoods and booties. The latter was notably used by the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force as emergency limited CBRN gear during the Fukushima nuclear incident.
• Tyvek coveralls, coats or bodysuits are often used during pandemics, for example in the 2013–2016 Western African Ebola virus epidemic, and in the COVID-19 pandemic, to protect health care workers from infection. The Tyvek suits which are most frequently used during the COVID-19 pandemic are sold between $5-$15 USD per piece. Due to a lack of sufficient stock of adequate PPE during the coronavirus crisis, Tyvek PPE became scarce in many places. Tyvek bodysuits are generally meant for one-time use. However, Tychem suits contaminated with the virus SARS-CoV-2 can be disinfected and reused a limited number of times.

See also

• Olefin fiber (for brand names of related fabrics)
• High-density polyethylene for material
• Flashspinning for manufacturing process

References

1. Coccolini, Federico; Perrone, Gennaro; Chiarugi, Massimo; Di Marzo, Francesco; Ansaloni, Luca; Scandroglio, Ildo; Marini, Pierluigi; Zago, Mauro; De Paolis, Paolo; Forfori, Francesco; Agresta, Ferdinando; Puzziello, Alessandro; d'Ugo, Domenico; Bignami, Elena; Bellini, Valentina; Vitali, Pietro; Petrini, Flavia; Pifferi, Barbara; Corradi, Francesco; Tarasconi, Antonio; Pattonieri, Vittoria; Bonati, Elena; Tritapepe, Luigi; Agnoletti, Vanni; Corbella, Davide; Sartelli, Massimo; Catena, Fausto (2020). "Surgery in COVID-19 patients: Operational directives". World Journal of Emergency Surgery. 15 (1): 25. doi:10.1186/s13017-020-00307-2. PMC 7137852. PMID 32264898.
2. admin. "Tyvek brand - For Greater Good". Archived from the original on 2007-12-07.
3. "DuPont Tyvek Marks 40 Years of Energy Efficiency and Protection". DuPont. Archived from the original on 2008-02-09.
4. "History of Weather Barrier". www2.dupont.com. Archived from the original on 2012-10-05. Retrieved 2018-11-28.
5. "DuPont Tyvek for Medical and Pharmaceutical Packaging" (PDF). www.dupont.com. Retrieved 2018-12-11.
6. "DuPont Announces $400 Million Tyvek Expansion". Nonwovens Industry Magazine - News, Markets & Analysis for the Nonwovens Industry. Retrieved 2018-12-11.
7. "Seaming and Sealing with DuPont Tyvek". DuPont. 2012. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
8. admin. "Recycling - DuPont Tyvek for Industrial Packaging - DuPont USA". Archived from the original on 2015-01-05.
9. "Plastic Film and Bag Recycling Collection: National Reach Study" (PDF). Moore Recycling Associates Inc.
10. "Product Handbook for DuPont Tyvek" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-01-09. Retrieved 2017-12-31.
11. "DuPont™ Tyvek® CommercialWrap" Product Information Sheet.
12. "Material Safety Data Sheet TYVEK (R) SPUNBONDED OLEFIN (ALL STYLES)", DuPont Australia.
13. "DuPont™ Tyvek® CommercialWrap" Product Information Sheet.
14. DuPont: Tyvek Weatherization Systems archive Pdf Archived 2018-04-12 at the Wayback Machine
15. Rogers, Stuart E. (May 22, 2012). "Aerodynamics and Debris Transport for the Space Shuttle Launch Vehicle" (PDF). NASA Ames Research Center. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
16. Dashcam on a Space Shuttle - FRONT WINDOW launch. 2 March 2011. Archived from the original on 2021-12-22 – via YouTube.
17. Keats, Jonathon. "Artist Tom Sachs' DIY Space Program Is Outmaneuvering Elon Musk And NASA With Plywood And Tyvek". Forbes.
18. "Priority Mail Tyvek Envelope | USPS.com". store.usps.com. Retrieved 2023-10-23.
19. "Upgrading driver licences from paper to photo (Factsheet 54) - NZ Transport Agency". nzta.govt.nz.
20. Costa Rica Tyvek Envelopes
21. Isle of Man Bradvek Banknotes
22. Haitian Tyvek Banknotes 1980 and 1982 issues
23. "Race Bibs: A Buyer's Guide". Race Directors HQ. October 12, 2023. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
24. "Tyvek Short - Shop American Apparel". Archived from the original on 16 July 2011.
25. "What is Tyvek? Everything You Need to Know - Doranix". Doranix. 2017-06-20. Retrieved 2018-11-28.
26. McNall, Ralph. "Tyvek Backpack". Forum Post.
27. Doctorow, Cory (February 2012). "Clever-folding tyvek San Francisco map, with out-of-the-way landmarks". Blog Post. Boing Boing. Retrieved 5 September 2012.
28. "DuPont Tyvek for Disc Packaging Sleeves". Retrieved 2018-07-31.
29. How to make a Tyvek Wallet on YouTube
30. "The LIGHT WING - the UTLab Shoes Official Store | THEUTLAB.com". Archived from the original on 2013-06-28. Retrieved 2013-06-17.
31. "No Canvas, No Leather: A Reboot for the Sneaker". The New York Times. 31 August 2014.
32. "New Products and Services". Infection Control. 3 (4): 342–348. 1982. doi:10.1017/S0195941700056459. JSTOR 30146417. S2CID 249000467.
33. "Medical Device Packaging | DuPont Tyvek 1073B". DuPont USA. Archived from the original on 16 September 2018. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
34. workflow-process-service. "Crime scene protection with DuPontTM Tyvek | DuPont South Africa". www.dupont.co.za. Retrieved 2018-11-28.
35. Boosting SDF's Nuclear Accident Response Capabilities Archived 2016-03-05 at the Wayback Machine. Japan Security Watch. July 13th 2011. Accessed 11th October 2014.
36. "Protective Clothing for Ebola Virus Disease (EVD)" (PDF). www.dupont.com. 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 25, 2015. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
37. "DuPont Response to Coronavirus Disease (Covid-19)".
38. Seema Mody (2020-02-21). "DuPont ramps up safety suit production as coronavirus causes shortages in China". CNBC.
39. "U.S. Appeals to Aid Recipients for Help in Fighting Coronavirus". 23 March 2020.
40. "Personal Protective Equipment Donations | Press Releases | County Administrator's Office | County of Sonoma".
41. "Cleaning Guidelines for DuPontTM Tychem® garments for COVID-19" (PDF).

External links

• Tyvek Product Handbook Archived 2016-01-09 at the Wayback Machine
• Tyvek at DuPont
• DuPont Tyvek WB FAQ
• Tyvek – Because It Makes the Difference

v t e Packaging
General topics	Active packaging Child-resistant packaging Contract packager Edible packaging Modified atmosphere/modified humidity packaging Overpackaging Package delivery Package pilferage Package testing Package theft Packaging engineering Resealable packaging Reusable packaging Reuse of bottles Shelf life Shelf-ready packaging Shelf-stable Sustainable packaging Tamper-evident Tamper resistance Wrap rage
Product packages	Alternative wine closure Ammunition box Banana box Beer bottle Box wine Case-ready meat Coffee bag Cosmetic packaging Currency packaging Disposable food packaging Drink can Egg carton Evidence packaging Field ration Flour sack Foam food container Food packaging Fuel container Gas cylinder Glass milk bottle Growler Juicebox Low plastic water bottle Luxury packaging Milk bag Optical disc packaging Oyster pail Popcorn bag Pharmaceutical packaging Plastic milk container Purdue Improved Crop Storage bags Sand bag Seasonal packaging Self-heating food packaging Screw cap (wine) Single-serve coffee container Spray paint Toothpaste pump dispenser Unit dose Water bottle Wine bottle
Containers	Aerosol spray dispenser Aluminium bottle Aluminum can Ampoule Antistatic bag Bag-in-box Bag Barrel Biodegradable bag Blister pack Boil-in-bag Bottle Box Bulk box Cage Case Carboy Carton Chub Clamshell Corrugated box design Crate Disposable cup Drum Endcap Envelope Euro container Flexible intermediate bulk container Flexible tank Folding carton Glass bottle Gunny sack Inhaler Insulated shipping container Intermediate bulk container Jar Jerrycan Jug Keg Mesh bag Multilayered packaging Multi-pack Packet (container) Padded envelope Pail Paper bag Paper sack Plastic bag Plastic bottle Retort pouch Salvage drum Sachet Water sachet Security bag Shipping container Shipping tube Skin pack Spray bottle Squround Stand-up pouch Steel and tin cans Tetra Brik Thermal bag Tub (container) Tube Unit load Vial Wooden box
Materials and components	Adhesive Aluminium foil Bail handle Bioplastic Biodegradable plastic BoPET Bubble wrap Bung Cellophane Closure Coated paper Coating Coextrusion Container glass Corrugated fiberboard Corrugated plastic Cushioning Desiccant Double seam Flip-top Foam peanut Gel pack Hot-melt adhesive Humidity indicator card Kraft paper Label Lid Linear low-density polyethylene Liquid packaging board Living hinge Low-density polyethylene Meat absorbent pad Metallised film Modified atmosphere Molded pulp Nonwoven fabric Overwrap Oxygen scavenger Package handle Packaging gas Pallet Paper Paper pallet Paperboard Plastic-coated paper Plastic film Plastic pallet Plastic wrap Polyester Polyethylene Polypropylene Pressure-sensitive tape Pump dispenser Screw cap Screw cap (wine) Security printing Security tape Shock detector Shock and vibration data logger Shrink wrap Slip sheet Staple (fastener) Strapping Stretch wrap Susceptor Tamper-evident band Tear tape Temperature data logger Time temperature indicator Tinplate Velostat
Processes	Aseptic processing Authentication Automatic identification and data capture Blow fill seal Blow molding Calendering Canning Coating Containerization Converting Corona treatment Curtain coating Die cutting Die forming (plastics) Electronic article surveillance Extrusion Extrusion coating Flame treatment Glass production Graphic design Hazard analysis and critical control points Hermetic seal Induction sealing Injection moulding Lamination Laser cutting Molding Package tracking Papermaking Plastic extrusion Plastic welding Printing Product development Production control Quality assurance Radio-frequency identification Roll slitting Shearing (manufacturing) Thermoforming Track and trace Ultrasonic welding Vacuum forming Vacuum packaging Verification and validation
Machinery	Barcode printer Barcode reader Bottling line Calender Can seamer Cap torque tester Cartoning machine Case sealer Check weigher Conveyor system Drum pump Extended core stretch wrapper Filler Heat gun Heat sealer Industrial robot Injection molding machine Label printer applicator Lineshaft roller conveyor Logistics automation Material-handling equipment Mechanical brake stretch wrapper Multihead weigher Orbital stretch wrapper Packaging machinery Pallet inverter Palletizer Rotary wheel blow molding systems Seed-counting machine Shrink tunnel Staple gun Tape dispenser Turntable stretch wrapper Vertical form fill sealing machine
Environment, post-use	Biodegradation Can collecting Closed-loop box reuse Environmental engineering Glass recycling Industrial ecology Life-cycle assessment Litter Packaging waste Paper recycling PET bottle recycling Plastic recycling Recycling Reusable packaging Reverse logistics Source reduction Sustainable packaging Waste management
Category: Packaging

v t e DuPont
Selected directors	Edward D. Breen Alexander M. Cutler Rajiv L. Gupta
Products	Corian FE-13 Freon Hypalon Kalrez Kapton Kevlar Mylar Neoprene Nomex Nylon Sorona Teflon Tyvek Vespel Viton Zodiaq Zytel
Subsidiaries and joint ventures	Antec International
Divisions and facilities	DuPont Central Research DuPont Experimental Station DuPont Building
Notable people	Éleuthère Irénée du Pont Alfred I. du Pont Eugene du Pont Francis Gurney du Pont Francis Irénée du Pont Henry du Pont Lammot du Pont Pierre S. du Pont T. Coleman du Pont Jeffery Stanford Agate Anthony Joseph Arduengo III Jacques Antoine Bidermann Samuel Bodman Norman Borlaug Donaldson Brown Richard H. Brown Wallace Carothers Uma Chowdhry Thomas M. Connelly Curtis J. Crawford John T. Dillon Linda Fisher Richard Goodmanson Jeff Gordon Charles O. Holliday Steven Ittel Edward G. Jefferson Ellen J. Kullman Stephanie Kwolek James Lynah Rudolph Pariser George Parshall Charles J. Pedersen William Dale Phillips Roy J. Plunkett John J. Raskob William K. Reilly Irving S. Shapiro Richard R. Schrock Joseph Shivers Howard Ensign Simmons Jr. Charles Stine Frederick N. Tebbe Chadwick A. Tolman Earl Tupper Charles M. Vest Edgar S. Woolard Jr. Nathaniel C. Wyeth
History	DuPont (1802–2017) Du Pont family Atlas Chemical Industries B Reactor (Manhattan Project) Eleutherian Mills Hagley Museum and Library Hercules Powder Company Kinetic Chemicals Nemours Estate Remington Arms Savannah River Site Wilmington Trust Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library Conoco Consolidation Coal Company DuPont analysis DuPont v. Kolon Industries Du Pont Motors DuPont Building (incl. The Playhouse on Rodney Square, formerly the DuPont Playhouse) Chemours
Sponsorship	Tour DuPont Pioneer 250 Hendrick Motorsports Car No. 24 (NASCAR Cup Series career of Jeff Gordon) The DuPont Show with June Allyson DuPont Show of the Month
Category Commons

• Plastic brands
• Synthetic paper
• Brand name materials
• Nonwoven fabrics
• Technical fabrics
• DuPont products
• Moisture protection
• Products introduced in 1955
• Polyolefins
• Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster
• Synthetic paper industry