| Material |
Clarity |
MVTR* |
O2** |
C02** |
Impact Strength |
Recycle Code |
PET
(Oriented or Stretch Blown Polyethylene Terephthalate) |
Excellent |
2.0 |
75 |
540 |
Good |
1 |
HDPE
(High Density Polyethylene) |
Poor |
0.5 |
4,000 |
18,000 |
Good |
2 |
PVC
(Polyvinyl Chloride) |
Good |
3.0 |
150 |
380 |
Fair |
3 |
PP
(Polypropylene)
|
Poor |
0.5 |
3,500 |
7,000 |
Fair |
5 |
PS
(Polystyrene) |
Excellent |
10.0 |
6,000 |
18,700 |
Poor |
6 |
PLA
(Polylactide – Oriented/Stretch Blown bottles) |
Very Good |
18-22 |
38-42 |
201 |
Good |
7 |
|
*MVTR stands for Moisture Vapor
Transmission Rate in g-mil/100in. 2/24hr. MVTR is a measure
of the passage of gaseous H2O through a barrier.
The lower the rate, the longer the package protects its contents
from moisture and ensures the moisture content of the product
remains the same.
**O2 and CO2
stand for Oxygen Transmission Rate (OTR) and Carbon Dioxide
Transmission Rate (COTR) in cm3-mil/m2/24hr. OTR and COTR
are measures of the amount of gas that passes through a substance
over a given period. The lower the readings, the more resistant
the plastic is to letting gasses through.
Plastic Material Definitions
Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)
Polyethylene Terephthalate is a strong, lightweight plastic
resin and form of polyester that closely resembles glass in
clarity and takes colorants well. PET is commonly used in
food packaging due to its strong barrier properties against
water vapor, dilute acids, gases, oils and alcohols. PET is
also shatter-resistant, slightly flexible and easy to recycle.
High Density Polyethylene (HDPE)
High Density Polyethylene is a rigid, tough and strong resin
of natural milky color. HDPE has very good stress crack resistance
as well as high impact and melt strength. HDPE is appropriate
for personal care, beverages, food and chemicals. It lends
itself particularly well to blow molding.
Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
Polyvinyl Chloride is a widely-used plastic. PVC containers
offer clarity, durability and chemical resistance. They are
primarily used for household goods such as soaps and cleaners,
chemicals and personal care items. The material is often used
for pipelines in the water and sewer industries because of
its inexpensive nature and flexibility.
Polypropylene (PP)
Polypropylene is a thermoplastic polymer used in a wide variety
of applications, including food packaging, textiles, laboratory
equipment, automotive components, and polymer banknotes. It
is unusually resistant to many chemical solvents, bases and
acids. It is much less brittle than HDPE. Polypropylene has
very good resistance to fatigue, so that most plastic living
hinges, such as those on flip-top bottles (Tic Tacs), are
made from this material.
Polystyrene (PS)
Polystyrene comes in many shapes and forms, from foam egg
cartons and meat trays, to soup bowls and salad boxes. It
protects against moisture and maintains its strength and shape
even after long periods of time.
Polylactide (PLA)
Polylactide is a corn-based resin made by NatureWorks®
PLA that requires significantly less energy to mold into plastic
containers. It can be shaped into a variety of bottles, containers,
trays, film and other packaging. The production of PLA uses
68 percent less fossil fuel resources than traditional plastics
and it is the world's first greenhouse-gas-neutral polymer.
The properties of PLA are well suited for the injection stretch
blow molding process used to form bottles and jars. PLA is
primarily suited for short-shelf-life applications that use
cold-filling techniques. It is successful as a bottle resin
because of its transparency and its fit with all landfill
diversion options. |
