Types of Plastic Resins & Quality Facts

PET - Polyethylene Terephthalate
• Glass like clarity
• Durable
• Rigid
• Impact resistant
• Exceptional gas and moisture barrier properties
• Good alcohol & solvent barrier
• Not suitable generally for hot fill applications

HDPE - High Density Polyethylene
• Excellent moisture barrier
• Impact resistant
• Translucent
• Ideal for high-speed filling
• Well suited for demanding pharmaceutical specifications, water-based chemicals, toiletries & cosmetics, and certain food products
• Inadequate for products sensitive to oxidation or those products which contain solvents

PVC - Vinyl/Polyvinyl Chloride
• Transparent
• Rigid
• Excellent resistance to oxygen permeation and oils
• Good water barrier characteristics
• Commonly used in the toiletry and cosmetic market

LDPE - Low Density Polyethylene
• Squeezable and soft particularly suited for squeeze spray or dropper applications
• Virtually unbreakable and more resistant to stress cracking than HDPE
• Retains impact strength at very low temperatures
• Does not withstand product fill temperatures of more than 100ºF
• Poor barrier to gases or solvents

PP - Polypropylene
• Autoclavable
• Excellent contact clarity
• Can be used for hot fill opportunities beyond the limits of HDPE
• Excellent impact strength, stress crack resistance, and barrier characteristic
• Lightweight and strong
• Tends to become brittle at lower temperature ranges

PS - Polystyrene
• Rigid, glass like clarity
• Lightweight
• Able to withstand high fill temperatures up to 180° F
• Generally used for dry products, which are not extremely hydroscopic in nature



Other
Packages made with a resin other than the six listed above, or is made of more than one resin and used in a multilayer combination

Polycarbonate
• Transparent
• Impact resistant
• Rigid
• Outstanding dimensional stability
• Resistant to ultraviolet light
• High heat resistance