Resins and Types of Packaging

Resins and Types of Packaging

Plastic is often a more efficient material to choose than alternatives. That’s because plastics are incredibly energy efficient to manufacture and because they are lighter than alternative materials. Just two pounds of plastic can deliver 10 gallons—of a beverage. You’d need three pounds of aluminum, eight pounds of steel, or over 40 pounds of glass to bring home the same amount. Here’s a look at some plastic resins and some of the ways they’re commonly used in packaging applications

High Density Polyethylene (HDPE)

AboutPropertiesCommon Packaging Applications

HDPE is the most widely used type of plastic. It’s used to make many types of bottles and containers. Unpigmented bottles are translucent, have good barrier properties and stiffness, and are well suited to packaging products with a short shelf life such as milk. Because HDPE has good chemical resistance, it is used for packaging many household and industrial chemicals such as detergents and bleach. Pigmented HDPE bottles have better stress crack resistance than unpigmented HDPE.

Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE)

Includes Linear Low Density Polyethylene (LLDPE)

AboutPropertiesCommon Packaging Applications

LDPE is used predominately in film applications due to its toughness, flexibility and relative transparency, making it popular for use in applications where heat sealing is necessary. LDPE also is used to manufacture some flexible lids and bottles as well as in wire and cable applications.

Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET, PETE)

AboutPropertiesCommon Packaging Applications

PET is clear, tough, and has good gas and moisture barrier properties. This resin is commonly used in beverage bottles and many injection- molded consumer product containers. Cleaned, recycled PET flakes and pellets are in great demand for spinning fiber for carpet yarns, producing fiberfill and geotextiles.

Polypropylene (PP)

AboutPropertiesCommon Packaging Applications

PP has good chemical resistance, is strong, and has a high melting point making it good for hot-fill liquids. This resin is found in flexible and rigid packaging, fibers, and large molded parts for automotive and consumer products.

Polystyrene

AboutPropertiesCommon Packaging Applications

PS is a versatile plastic that can be rigid or foamed. General purpose polystyrene is clear, hard and brittle. It has a relatively low melting point. Typical applications include protective packaging, foodservice packaging, bottles, and food containers. PS is often combined with rubber to make high impact polystyrene (HIPS) which is used for packaging and durable applications requiring toughness, but not clarity.

Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC, Vinyl)

AboutPropertiesCommon Packaging Applications

In addition to its stable physical properties, PVC has good chemical resistance, weatherability, flow characteristics and stable electrical properties. The diverse slate of vinyl products can be broadly divided into rigid and flexible materials.