Protective layer for elegant wall design

From trade fair booths to building facades – PLEXIGLAS® and EUROPLEX® HC films for HPL offer outstanding protection without compromising on appearance. The thin protective layer enables high-pressure laminates to be used in outdoor applications while providing long-term protection against fading caused by UV radiation and weathering.

HPL (high-pressure laminate) sheets are robust, easy to maintain and versatile in design. It is thanks to these properties that they are used in so many different areas, from furniture, exhibition booths and store fixtures to outdoor building facades. PLEXIGLAS® and EUROPLEX® HC films for HPL are designed to protect flat laminate panels against UV radiation, weathering and scratches, preserving their high-quality appearance over time. POLYVANTIS showcased what this can look like at its booth at K 2025. The entire back of the booth was made from HPL sheets with PLEXIGLAS® film 99836 – a PMMA film with a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) cover layer especially developed for HPL sheets.

The protective layer made from POLYVANTIS special films offers numerous practical benefits for booth construction, with HPL sheets available in a wide range of colors and decors. With their high transparency, PLEXIGLAS® and EUROPLEX® HC films give booth designers enormous creative freedom. At the same time, booth designers benefit from enormous creative freedom. The special film also makes the HPL sheets even more robust and easy to clean, as well as ensuring excellent bonding to various substrates.

HPL sheets with protective films in interior design

HPL sheets have a diverse range of uses in interior design – as wall cladding, furniture fronts or partitions, such as in sanitary facilities. The material is robust, available in numerous decors, and designed to withstand intensive use. But it has one weakness: UV radiation. Sunlight coming in through windows causes unprotected surfaces to yellow over time. PLEXIGLAS® and EUROPLEX® films filter more than 99 percent of UV radiation out. As a result, a cupboard next to a window retains its original color, while a partition in a bright office shows no visible signs of aging even after many years. Another challenge is everyday use, with surfaces regularly wiped, subjected to impacts and exposed to cleaning agents. The EUROPLEX® HC films also make HPL sheets more resistant to scratches and chemicals.

From exhibition halls to facades: a diverse range of applications

Proven in temporary trade fair booth installations, HPL laminates with PLEXIGLAS® or EUROPLEX® HC films also perform exceptionally well in outdoor applications, including ventilated facades, panels and balcony railings. Here, too, architects benefit from almost unlimited design freedom. Every decor imaginable can be applied to the decorative layer impregnated with melamine resin, while the PLEXIGLAS® film provides a vibrant look and permanent protection.

Permanent bond prevents delamination

One of the greatest challenges in HPL sheet production is creating an inseparable bond to prevent delamination – when the protective layer peels away from the substrate. This can be a major problem, especially in outdoor applications, where fluctuating temperatures, moisture and UV radiation can all have an impact on the material.

To prevent delamination, PLEXIGLAS® and EUROPLEX® HC films are bonded with the melamine resin surface under high pressure (> 5 MPa) and at temperatures of 140–150°C during the production process. The result is an inseparable bond that remains stable even under extreme conditions. During pressing, the films coextruded with an adhesion promoter bond chemically to the melamine resin-soaked decorative paper on the HPL sheet.