Material information - PE, PP, PVC and PET What is the difference?

Plastics have become indispensable in our society. Different uses require different properties of the material. In general, plastics are subdivided into three groups: thermoplastics, thermosets and so-called elastomers. In order not to lose track, you will find an overview of the different plastics from the group of thermoplastics, as the other two do not play a major role in the packaging industry.
The advantage of the thermoplastics compared to the other two is the characteristic of deforming the material by adding energy in the form of heat. This attribute is due to the arrangement of the molecules. The polymer chains have only few cross connections and thus remain mutually flexible.

LDPE / PE-LD (Low Density Polyethylen)

Due to the highly branched polymer chains and the resulting low density, this material is suitable for all deformable or elastic things such as squeeze bottles or tubes. However, unlike HDPE, LDPE is not as resistant to some chemicals.

HDPE / PE-HD (High Density Polyethylen)

HDPE has weakly branched polymer chains and thus has a high density which makes it much more dimensionally stable than LDPE and is therefore used in all areas.

PP (Polypropylen)

In contrast to polyethylene, polypropylene has both improved thermal resistance and mechanical characteristics, while its chemical resistance is lower than that of HDPE or LDPE. Due to the low material fatigue, it is mainly used in hinged closures.

PET (Polyethylenterephthalat)

PET is the classic for the production of plastic bottles, because it is absolutely colorless and has a very high light transmission.

Glass

In contrast to plastic, glass has an enormous chemical resistance and is therefore physiologically harmless.