Materials · PETG
The engineer’s card material
The chlorine-free copolyester specified for national ID and social-security cards — tougher than PVC in daily use, with a high-heat grade (Vicat 88–100 °C) for climates where PVC taps out.
PETG is a chlorine-free polyester that resists cracking, heat and repeated flexing better than PVC. It prints nearly as well, carries the same chips, and is available in food-contact-safe grades — a fit for wellness venues and long-life credentials.
Highlights
Tougher than PVC
Higher flex and impact resistance for cards issued once and used for years.
Chlorine-free polymer
A PVC-free construction some sustainability policies specifically require.
Food-contact grades
FDA food-contact-grade material options for special applications.
PETG copolyester — technical data
- Card body
- Chlorine-free PETG copolyester — the substrate specified for national ID and social-security card programs
- Sheet grades
- Clear film 60–100 μm; clear core 100–400 μm; white core 80–400 μm; high-heat core 80–400 μm
- Heat stability
- Vicat softening 74–82 °C standard grades; 88–100 °C high-heat grade for hot-climate properties
- Clean chemistry
- No chlorine, no plasticisers, no optical brighteners; combustion products are CO₂ and water
- Surface
- Double-sided matte, Rz 4–11 μm; wetting tension ≥ 36–38 dyn/cm — same print processes as PVC
- Mechanical strength
- Tensile strength ≥ 38–40 MPa (MD) — bank-card durability
- Finished thickness
- 760 μm / 30 mil (CR80) laminated build, identical hand-feel to PVC
- Chip compatibility
- All 125 kHz and 13.56 MHz chips; magstripe and hybrid builds
Inside a PETG key card
PETG laminates exactly like PVC — cores, inlay, overlays fused in a hot press — so it drops into existing card programs without new tooling. The difference is the resin itself: a copolyester with no chlorine in the backbone, which is why ID-card programs that must guarantee clean incineration specify it.
≈ 760 μm finished — specify the 88–100 °C high-heat core for desert properties
- PETG overlay · 60–100 μm Clear film grade; scratch protection and foil carrier
- White PETG core · 80–400 μm Front print face, no optical brighteners
- RFID inlay Etched antenna + chip, adhesive-film bonded
- White PETG core · 80–400 μm Back print face
- PETG overlay · 60–100 μm Sealed back face
When PETG is the right call
- Your climate punishes cards: the high-heat grade (Vicat 88–100 °C) shrugs off dashboards, poolside sun and summer mailing that soften PVC.
- Your brand standard bans chlorinated plastics: PETG delivers PVC-class durability with clean-combustion chemistry.
- You want ID-card credibility: the same substrate family runs in government national-ID and social-security card programs worldwide.
PETG key card questions
What is the real difference between PETG and PVC key cards?
Chemistry, mostly. PETG is a chlorine-free copolyester with no plasticisers, and it burns to CO₂ and water — which is why national ID programs specify it. In daily use the two are hard to tell apart: similar stiffness, print quality and durability. PETG typically costs slightly more.
How much heat can a PETG card take?
Standard PETG grades soften at 74–82 °C (Vicat A120) — comparable to PVC. The high-heat grade moves that to 88–100 °C, which is the spec to choose for desert resorts, unattended outdoor kiosks and summer direct-mail programs.
Do PETG cards work with our existing locks and encoders?
Yes. The chip and antenna are identical to a PVC build, and the card meets the same CR80 dimensions. Locks, encoders and printers cannot tell the difference.
Is PETG the eco option?
It is the clean-chemistry option: chlorine-free with benign combustion products, and no optical brighteners. For a stronger end-of-life story, compare degradable PVC (ASTM-tested landfill degradation), wooden cards or plastic-free paper cards.
Start your order
Need key cards that just work at check-in?
Send your lock brand and quantity — you will get a factory-direct quote and a free sample pack to test in your own locks before you commit.