SHINKOLITE tends to deform when heated up to over 100 C. It should be stored in an area whose ambient temperature does not exceed 80 C.

SHINKOLITE has relatively high surface hardness, comparable to aluminum. However, care should be taken not to have the surface scratched during handling. Both surfaces of SHINKOLITE are protected with masking film or paper. It is recommended not to remove the making until necessary to prevent dust collection and accidental surface scoring or scratching.

In case the unmasked surface of SHINKOLITE is rubbed strongly with dry cloth or the like to remove dust or stain on the surface, then static charge may build up to collect even more dust on the surface. Use of dampened cloth is recommended to wipe it with, if necessary, to minimize static build-up.

SHINKOLITE has a fairly large coefficient of thermal expansion (See Figure 1.) Thermal dimensional changes should be taken into account in processing and storing it. For example, an increase or decrease by 10C in the sheet temperature causes 0.7 mm of linear expansion or shrinkage per 1,000 mm in length of the sheet.

Humidity also causes dimensional changes of SHINKOLITE. Though such changes by humidity is not as great as thermal ones (See Fig. 2.), humidity condition should be carefully watched. Water absorption, if excessive, may lead to bubbling during thermoforming or crazing after printing or painting. It is therefore recommended that storage and working areas should be air-conditioned.

SHINKOLITE can be attacked by organic solvents resulting in micro cracks formed in the sheet surface. It should be avoided to store SHINKOLITE in such an area as may be exposed to solvent vapors.

SHINKOLITE with ignition temperature of 400 C is not highly flammable, but burns when exposed to naked fire.

SHINKOLITE can be placed either horizontally or vertically, when stored. The sheet can warp depending on the way it is stored. Either of the following is recommended.

Standing

  Stand SHINKOLITE on the rack with bottom inclined at 10-degree angle. (See Figure A.) Place the sheets tight to each other. It is recommended to keep the total thickness of a cluster of sheets within 30 cm.

Stacking

  Stack the sheets flat. In case sheets of different sizes are stacked, avoid an overhang with the smaller size sheet always placed on top of the larger ones. (See Figure B.) Also the total height of a stack should not exceed 50 cm. A stack consisting of the same size of sheets is much preferred.