The uses and dangers of thermal paper
Thermal paper is not new to the world market. It has been in use for many years. Thermal paper can be easily recognized by its special fineness and by being impregnated with certain chemicals that change color when exposed to heat. These are the characteristics that differentiate thermal paper from other types.
Thermal paper is widely used in thermal printers. It finds its gigantic use particularly in lightweight and cheap devices. These include adding machines, credit card terminals, and cash registers. Thermal paper generally requires a protective layer. This is due to the need to reduce fading of the thermal image caused by exposure to ultraviolet light, grease, water, oils, shortening, fats, plasticizers and the like.
The coating also helps improve print head wear. Not only this, but it reduces or eliminates thermal coating residue on thermal printheads. In addition, this coating provides better anchoring of flexographic printing inks that are applied to thermal paper, thus focusing the heat of the thermal printhead onto the active coating. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, thermal transfer, laser printing, electrophotography and, to a lesser extent, inkjet printing began to eliminate warehouse and industrial barcode applications. TP due to increased durability. However, thermal paper came back with a bang.
Thermal paper has had a rough ride in the market with many ups and downs. It is now widely used for sales receipts, gas pumps, cash registers, car rental receipts, and many others. Therefore, it is a good business to invest in TP as it is a prospective industry that promises good returns on your investment.
The pioneers of the thermal paper industry were the companies named NCR Corporation and another named 3M. Although 3M’s technology was more durable, its cost made NCR the market leader in thermal paper over time. The demand for TP increased with the invention of the thermal printhead in 1965 by Texas Instruments. It was in 1969 that a computer terminal with a thermal printer was introduced to the market under the name Silent 700.
Over time, as the barcode system became more and more popular, the value and use of thermal paper increased even more. Many big names in the industry are now heavy users of thermal paper for label applications. As recently as 2006, NCR Corporation’s Systemmedia division introduced duplex thermal printing technology now known as 2ST. It has also given a rise to thermal paper.
Despite all its cost-effectiveness and use, health experts have shown great concern about thermal paper. They state that TP contains a high proportion of bisphenol A which can cause endocrine disruption. Therefore, special care must be taken when using TP. Children must be specially supervised so that, in no case, they chew or swallow the thermal paper. If they do, medical help should be sought immediately.