Brady B-492: Freezerbondz White Polyester Thermal Printable Label Stock

Brady B-492 Freezerbondz is a white polyester thermal transfer label stock with a white printable topcoat and a permanent acrylic adhesive, designed for laboratory identification such as vials, centrifuge tubes, test tubes, straws, and slides. It can be applied to frozen surfaces including glass and polypropylene stored in liquid nitrogen, but the sheet carries a footnote reading "Metal surfaces should be labeled at room temperature only." All testing described on the sheet was performed with the Brady Series R6400 ribbon, and the alternate Brady Series R4300 ribbon may only be used if chemical resistance to Ethanol, Toluene and Xylene is not required.

Figure 1: Brady B-492 — FreezerBondz™ Cryogenic Polyester adhering directly to frosted -196°C liquid nitrogen vialsField Application Photo

Orderable Part Numbers, Packaging & Distributor SKUs

Official Brady SKUs, roll dimensions, package quantities, list pricing, Grainger part numbers, and printer compatibility for B-492.

Extracted directly from Brady Technical Data Sheets to prevent real-world application failures and chemical degradation:

• Footnote 1 - metal surfaces: The sheet's only numbered footnote reads "Metal surfaces should be labeled at room temperature only." It is printed as the very last line of the "Label applied to room temperature surface" page, directly beneath the ✔ / ◆ / X legend and directly above the "Label applied to cold surface" heading. Scope is not stated: no row, result, or heading in either environmental table carries a superscript "1", and on that same page the marker "1" is already in use in the "NOTE for Surfaces" block to mean the manufacturer VWR International. Do not attach this note to any single row. Note also that the cold-surface table's Freezer row does rate "✔ Stainless steel, aluminum and cardboard storage boxes" - the footnote and that row appear to conflict, and the sheet does not reconcile them.
• Footnote asterisk - R4300 ribbon and chemical resistance: Attached to "Brady Series R4300 (alternate)*" under RECOMMENDED RIBBONS: "Note: Brady Series R4300 ribbon may be used if chemical resistance is not required with Ethanol, Toluene and Xylene."
• Testing basis - R6400 ribbon: Under RECOMMENDED RIBBONS: "Please note that testing described in this Technical Data Sheet was performed on materials printed with the Brady Series R6400 ribbon." The chemical resistance section separately states that both the Brady Series R6400 and the Brady Series R4300 ribbons were tested.
• Regulatory approvals - status not stated on sheet: The REGULATORY APPROVALS section states no compliance status, agency approval, or standards conformance. It gives only a pointer: for information on the Weee-RoHS compliance status for a Brady product, go to one of the following websites. In Canada: www.bradycanada.ca/weee-rohs. In Europe: www.bradyeurope.com/rohs. In Japan: www.brady.co.jp/products/labelsuse/rohs. All other regions: www.bradyid.com/weee-rohs
• Per-configuration verdicts do not transfer: Results differ between application methods within a single row, so a verdict for one configuration must not be read across to another. Example from "Liquid Nitrogen to boiling water" with the label applied to a room temperature surface: "✔ Polypropylene tube/vial, gapped" but "◆ Polypropylene tube/vial, ⅛" overlapped, longitudinal". Example from "Freezer" with the label applied to a cold surface: "✔ Glass test tube, gapped" but "◆ Glass test tube, longitudinal, ⅛" overlap". Verdicts also differ between the two tables for the same substrate - flat polypropylene is ◆ under Liquid Nitrogen but ✔ under Freezer, in both the room-temperature-surface and cold-surface tables.
• Configurations rated mixed: Rated ◆ ("Label may work in application; test results were mixed"), by table and row. Label applied to room temperature surface - Liquid Nitrogen: Plastic Whirl-Pak bags, Flat polypropylene. Freezer: Plastic Whirl-Pak bags. Liquid Nitrogen to boiling water: Polypropylene tube/vial ⅛" overlapped longitudinal, Glass microscope slide, Flat polypropylene. Freezer to boiling water: Polypropylene tube/vial longitudinal ⅛" overlap. Label applied to cold surface - Liquid Nitrogen: Flat polypropylene, Plastic Whirl-Pak bags. Freezer: Glass test tube longitudinal ⅛" overlap, Polypropylene tube/vial ⅛" overlap longitudinal, Plastic Whirl-Pak bags. Liquid Nitrogen to boiling water: Glass test tube ⅛" overlap longitudinal, Glass microscope slide, Flat polypropylene. Freezer to boiling water: Glass test tube ⅛" overlap longitudinal. No entry in either environmental table is rated X ("not recommended").
• 10% Sodium Hydroxide damages the label stock: It is the only reagent whose "EFFECT TO LABEL STOCK" cell reads "Topcoat delaminates from label", and it is the only reagent rated 4 ("severe smear or print removal (print illegible or just barely legible)") in all four printed-image columns - R6400 without rub, R6400 with rub, R4300 without rub, and R4300 with rub.
• Application condition for best results: Stated in the preamble to both environmental tables: "For best results label should be wrapped around and overlapped on itself by at least ⅛"."
• User responsibility for fitness for use: Under Shelf Life: "It remains the responsibility of the user to assess the risk of using this product. We encourage customers to develop testing protocols that will qualify a product's fitness for use in their actual application."
• Data disclaimer - averages not for specification purposes: "All values shown are averages and should not be used for specification purposes." The sheet adds that its test data is for general information only, must not be relied upon for designs and specifications or as meeting specified performance criteria, and that customers wanting specifications or performance criteria for a specific application should contact Brady.
• Product compliance information disclaimer: Brady states that product compliance information comes from raw-material suppliers or from third-party independent laboratory testing, that Brady makes no independent representations or warranties express or implied, and that Brady assumes no liability in connection with the use of that information.
• Warranty disclaimer: The WARRANTY section states products are sold on the understanding that buyers will test them in actual use and determine adaptability to their intended uses themselves. Brady's obligation is limited to replacement of product shown to its satisfaction to have been defective at the time of sale, the warranty does not extend to anyone obtaining the product from the buyer, and implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose are expressly excluded.

ASTM Physical & Mechanical Properties

Standardized laboratory test data measured in accordance with ASTM D 1000, ASTM D 2979, and ASTM D 2671.

Thermal Transfer Ribbon Compatibility

Official Brady recommended ribbons engineered for maximum contrast, smear resistance, and UL certification compliance.

Chemical & Solvent Resistance Matrix

Standardized dip and rub immersion test observations across industrial fuels, oils, solvents, and cleaners.

Environmental & Aging Durability Testing

Verified Target Applications & Use Cases

• Laboratory identification such as vials, centrifuge tubes, test tubes, straws, and slides (stated under APPLICATIONS)
• Can be applied to frozen surfaces including glass and polypropylene stored in liquid nitrogen (stated under SPECIAL FEATURES)
• Performs well in common laboratory environments such as liquid nitrogen and freezer applications (stated under SPECIAL FEATURES)