Stone paper, explained for print and converting professionals

Flexstone® is the stone paper brand of Guangzhou Newlife New Material Co., Ltd. Flexstone® Eco-Material is produced by thoroughly kneading resin with 60–80% calcium carbonate powder, so it uses no wood pulp. It is supplied as printable rolls and sheets, self-adhesive films and label stock, fabric-backed wallcovering substrate and molding pellets. The material is waterproof, tear-resistant, warm white and opaque.

Ordinary paper is made from wood-pulp fibres that absorb water, so it swells, tears and disintegrates when wet. Stone paper is made from calcium carbonate mineral powder bound with resin and contains no fibres. It is fully waterproof and tear-resistant and does not shrink or swell with humidity. It is heavier than paper at the same thickness and, because it contains thermoplastic resin, has a lower heat limit.

It depends on the coating code and the part number. S-coated grades are for (eco) solvent, HP Latex and wide-format UV inkjet, except FS-S22-PSA and FS-S27-PSA, which are listed for HP Latex only. K grades are for wide-format UV inkjet on the wide-format part numbers (K-PSA rolls, K-coated DPA film and K-coated wall fabric) and, as narrow-web label stock (NMEQS-MACO 295), for offset, flexo and UV printing on a label press. Two-side 2K grades are for offset and UV printing; the FS / FG 2K grades from 0.15 to 0.30 mm (specification sheet NMEQS-MACO 293) are also listed for flexo and screen, are marked not compatible with HP Indigo and require testing on dry toner, and the FS / FG 2K grades from 0.20 to 0.30 mm are additionally listed as rolls for wide-format UV inkjet (NMEQS-MACO 296). I and 2I grades are for HP Indigo; the FG digital press grades (NMEQS-MACO 298) are also specified for dry toner, UV curable, offset and screen print. Check the specification sheet for the exact part number.

They are the three density series. FS has a density of 1.0 and is soft, lightweight and paper-like. FM has a density of 1.2 and balances flexibility and stiffness. FG has a density of 1.4 and is rigid with a fine surface. The code after the hyphen gives the coating and the face thickness in hundredths of a millimetre, so FS-2K20 is a 0.20 mm, two-side coated, density 1.0 sheet.

Three adhesives appear on the specification sheets. PSA is a middle-tack permanent adhesive that is not removable once fixed. WRA is a water-based removable adhesive with medium tack for semi-rough and smooth surfaces. DPA is a dot-pattern acrylic removable adhesive with air-release channels for bubble-free application, removable for up to 6 months indoors. All three hold 0.5 kg on a 25 × 25 mm area for 24 hours without slide. The Label & Hang Tag Solutions brochure also names a removable label adhesive, RSA, for which no part number or test data is published.

Flexstone is inherently waterproof. The Flexstone flyer cites an IPX8 waterproof rating based on a 72-hour immersion test with zero delamination. For heat, ratings are published for two groups of part numbers only: the FS / FG 2K grades from 0.15 to 0.30 mm (specification sheet NMEQS-MACO 293) are rated 80℃ (176℉) long-term and, short-term, 100℃ (212℉) for FS or 120℃ (248℉) for FG, and the FG digital press grades (NMEQS-MACO 298) are rated 80℃ long-term and 120℃ short-term. Flexstone is not intended for retort or other very high temperature applications.

According to Newlife's published figures, Flexstone production uses no trees and no process water, only circulating cooling water, and emits no wastewater, exhaust or residue. Per ton, replacing art paper saves 20–35 tons of water and 20 trees, and replacing BOPP pearlised paper reduces plastic by 500–650 kg and CO₂ by 2.4–3.5 tons. Fossil energy use is 65% lower than in PP synthetic paper manufacturing. The material contains no chlorine and no plasticizer.

The Flexstone flyer describes two routes. Reprocessing: the material can be milled, blended with a variety of recycled plastic granules and re-manufactured into pipes and other plastic products; because it contains no chlorine or plasticizer, milling generates no corrosive hydrogen chloride. Waste-to-energy: when burned to generate steam or electricity, it produces only carbon dioxide, water and calcium powder, with no harmful gases. Local recycling options vary, so confirm the route available in your market.

Flexstone has limited outdoor durability compared with PVC and is not recommended for long-term outdoor signage. Applications with strict fire-safety requirements still need flame-retardant PVC; halogen-free fire-retardant formulations are under development. The catalogued part numbers are opaque warm white (the flyer also lists a translucent semi-rigid type, without a part number), and Flexstone does not replace transparent film. It is not suitable for retort or other very high temperature uses, where PET remains the right choice.

Specification sheets are available on the downloads page. For samples and quotations, contact Guangzhou Newlife New Material Co., Ltd. by email at newlife@newlife.cn or by phone at +86-20-62283180, or use the contact page. Include the part number, the width or sheet size, the printing process and the end use so that the right grade can be recommended.