Permanence

Whether your mark needs to stand up to direct sunlight, abrasive chemicals, high temperatures, physical abrasion, or salt spray, TherMark offers the most permanent, high contrast, high resolution marks possible which do not damage your substrate. The sections below detail the results of our studies on the permanency of our marks in a variety of extreme environments.

UV Exposure & Weathering

• ASTM D4329 Procedure / Weather Cycle B
• 8 hrs exposure to UV at 70 °C, followed by 4 hrs exposure to condensation at 50 °C 1000 hrs (42 days) correlates to 1 yr of Florida exposure
  

TherMark material was tested on various substrates for 2000 hours. There was no noticeable degradation of the marks (fresh marks on top, UV exposed marks on bottom):

Marks were also tested for extreme UV & Temperature exposure in space. Please click here to read NASA’s test report.

Chemical Resistance
TherMark marks are resistant to the following chemicals:

• ASTM A380 – Marks on stainless steel pass corrosion test
• ASTM A967 – Marks pass citric acid passivation test
• Marks pass Acetone rub test
• Marks pass Ethanol rub test
  

Temperature Resistance

• The glass frit in TherMark materials melts at approximately 1800°F, providing extreme temperature resistance without discoloration.
  

Abrasion Resistance

• The glass component of the material ensures the marks are extremely hard and therefore resistant to abrasion assuming they have been correctly bonded. It is generally not possible to remove marks unless the abrasive is also removing the base material.
  

Salt Spray Tests

• In applications which require salt spray testing, TherMark materials, when bonded with a CO2 laser, are able to produce black marks without the substrate annealing typical with a direct mark from a solid state laser.
  

• The picture shows a 420 stainless steel part that has been marked then tested for corrosion. The salt dip test specification called for the part to be dipped for 20 seconds in a 1% salt solution at a temperature of between 140 & 160°F. The part is then removed for 10 seconds. This cycle is repeated 720 times for total test duration of approximately 6 hours.