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HDPE – LDPE

HDPE – LDPE

thick-white-plastic-sheet

Polyethylene (LDPE, HDPE)

Light-weight FDA grade, Natural and black are standard colors

HDPE and LDPE

High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) and Low Density  Polyethylene (LDPE) are both materials in the Polyolefin family of plastics, along with Polypropylene (PolyPro) and UHMW (Ultra High Molecular Weight).

Manufactured by a variety of manufacturers under several tradenames: Polyboard®, Polymar®, Hostalen®, Polystone®, Hitec® HDPE, Corrtec®, Sanalite®, UltraEthylux®, Polycarve®, and Densetec®.

For great abrasion resistance, very low density, and FDA/NSF compliance, Polyethylene products are an excellent choice.

20"-rod

Why use HDPE/LDPE for your application?

  • Light Weight
  • Stain, Odor, and Moisture Resistant
  • FDA & NSF Approval for Food Contact
  • Vacuum and Thermo-Formable Material
  • Very Durable and Abrasion Resistant
  • Self-lubricating and a low coefficient of friction
  • Very High Chemical Resistance
  • Low Specific Gravity (Floats in Water)
  • Can be Heat Welded or RF Welded
  • High Impact Strength and Energy Absorption
  • Exceptional Low Temperature – Brittle at -110° F
  • Does not chemically bond
  • HDPE/LDPE are ITAR compliant, and HDPE/LDPE are RoHS compliant

Main Differences: 

HDPE – Harder material, little to no flex, better tensile strength
LDPE – Softer, very flexible, lower tensile strength 

 

Applications – HDPE:

  • Cutting Board and Food Preparation Surfaces
  • FDA, USDA, NSF Compliant Machined Parts
  • Heat Formed and Vacuum Formed Parts
  • Dasher Board For Ice Rinks – Impact Parts
  • Welded Tanks, Hoppers, Silo Linings and Slide Chutes
  • Chemical and Structural Tanks and Covers
  • Food Processing Equipment, Valve, and Pump Components

Other applications include cement molds, body boards, transfer boards, death beds, mortician boards, cooler storage boards, spine board, tank liners, wear guides, and many, many more.HDPE is used in thousands of applications, from interiors of freezers, bed liners for trucks to personal protection gear.

HDPE is available in stock in natural (milky white) and black. Other colors are available with minimum runs.

Applications – LDPE:

  • Packaging Applications
  • Industrial bags, produce bags, garment bags
  • Blow Molded Bottles
  • Toys
  • Hot Melt Adhesives
  • Wire Insulation
  • Prosthetic appliances, Medical equipment, Semi-flexible tubing

Extruded Sheet:
.030 – 2.0″ in 48″ X 96″ Smooth Surfaces Natural Sheet in HDPE, 1″ max. for LDPE
Black available in many sizes of HDPE

Film:
.015″ – .060″ in 48″ wide Natural

Rod:
.250″ – 10″ diameter in Natural HDPE – 96″ lengths
From 12″ and up to 30″ diameter in 48″ lengths or 39″ lengths in HDPE

Black is available in many sizes of HDPE

Tube:
.250″ OD – 10″ OD in various wall thicknesses. Most available in HDPE and many in LDPE

Special Formulations:
Conductive, Static Dissipative, Custom sizes, Formulations, Profiles or Colors.

General PropertyASTM
Test
Typical Value HDPETypical Value LDPE
Specific GravityD792.941 – .965.91 – .925
Tensile Strength YieldD6383,800 – 5,5001,400 – 2,000
Izod Impact – NotchedD2562.0 – 3.5>16
Vicat Softening TempD1525257 degrees F219 degrees F
Hardness – RockwellD785D60 -70D42 – 50
Continuous Use Temp-100 – 180 degrees F174 degrees F
Deflection Temp @ 66 psiD648171124
Co. Thermal ExpansionD6967X10-54.6 -5.5X10-5
Restaurant quality cutting boards, cut to your size

Playground HDPE is UV stabilized for outdoor applications that is available in a variety of colors.

Sunboard and King StarBoard® are UV stabilized HDPE materials for marine applications.

These properties are for evaluation purposes only. This information is not to be construed as a warranty, guarantee or assurance that you may achieve the same results. Materials made from different resin types, manufacturing techniques and manufacturers will react differently. The information should be used to compare against other materials only, and each user should make his own tests to determine suitability. No warranty as to this materials suitability are either expressed nor implied.

Polypropylene Sheet, Sheets and Plate for Industrial Applications

Polypropylene Sheet, Sheets and Plate for Industrial Applications

Polypropylene Sheet in Industrial Applications

Known by a few different industry trade names including: Densitec®, Hostalen®, Marlex®, Protec®. Polypropylene is a very versatile and tough material that has many applications in both industrial and in manufacturing applications. Some of the major factories that produce Polypropylene sheet are: Vycom Plastics, Simona America and Polymer Industries. If you need the FM-4910 grade, Laminations and Vycom are the main suppliers. We represent all of these companies.

Some examples of Polypropylene usage are: containers to store food products, industrial chemical tanks, medical trays, and fibers that are used to

Large 14" diameter Natural Polypropylene Rod

14 inch Natural Polypropylene Rod produced by Gehr Plastics, the largest domestic plastic rod currently in production. 12″ diameter UHMW rod from Rochling Plastics, Industrial Plastic Supply is master distributor for both of these manufacturers.

make indoor and outdoor carpeting. A material that has the attributes of tensile strength, a resistance to high temperatures and is highly resistant to corrosion, Polypropylene is a unique material that can be used in the manufacture of chemical tanks that are used for the mixing of liquid materials that may have slight corrosive properties as part of their compounds. Polypropylene is available in a wide range of sizes and shapes. We supply it in sheets that can be cut to size for whatever your application needs happen to be, and it is also available in white and black, which are also available in several different thicknesses. Polypropylene is also available as a rod, which is available in a large range of diameters from .250″ and up. For a company that manufactures caustic compounds for resale to other B2B businesses, Polypropylene is the product that will meet your requirements as one of the most chemical resistant materials. It is a material that is resistant to temperatures of up to 180°F, and it is able to handle acids and caustic material as well as alkaline based materials.

Fabrication of Polypropylene Sheet – Welding

Polypropylene sheet is often fabricated, often through welding, to produce chemical resistant tanks. The material is ‘welded’ through the use of very hot air, in a pin point application and the use of welding rod of the same material. This process produces a water tight seam, and is excellent for producing tanks. Polypropylene’s chemical resistance also means it can not be bonded or glued – thus the need for welding. If you are looking for a material that has this type of tensile strength, it may be surprising to know that the garbage bags that we often use to dispose of our uneaten meals are made of Polypropylene (or HDPE). Another thing about this material is that it actually floats in water. The incredible toughness of Polypropylene material makes it a great choice in the manufacture of items like rope. Other plastics to consider for high chemical resistance are: PTFE, HDPE, UHMW and PVC; the choice of material depends on application and chemicals involved. Another use of Polypropylene is in the medical field. This material has been used for orthotics, prosthetic limbs, and other medical devices. One use is during hernia procedures, where a simple patch of the material is placed over the actual area of the hernia. The material is rarely rejected by the body’s immune system. Polypropylene is also very recyclable. It is number 5 on the list of common plastics.

Polypropylene is a common material for use in many household products, and is a popular material for injection molded parts because of its strength and stiffness. If your next job requires a rigid material that is FDA approved for certain applications, exhibits superior strength against corrosive materials, then Polypropylene Sheet and Rod may be an excellent choice. It is versatile enough to be used in the medical field and even has been used in the radio control airplane field, where it’s gaining popularity as a material to form the bodies of these aircraft. When used in this application, a model airplane can absorb more of the kinetic energy that is caused by a crash, and the plane survives the impact much better than when traditional polystyrene foam has been used. Polypropylene is a material that is versatile enough to meet just about any requirement that your particular project has to meet, and is available in sheets that are natural (translucent straw), white or black in color. It can be easily cut to meet your particular specifications, and is available in a wide range of thicknesses. Let us help you with your Polypropylene needs to complete on time and on spec. Call us today at 866-832-9315 or click here to send us your request or questions. Google+

Nylon Food Grade Changes

Nylon Food Grade Changes

Is Nylon Rod and Sheet Food Grade

This question was very easy to answer, up until now.

First: what is Zytel 42? It is a Natural Nylon 6/6 extrusion grade plastic resin. An extremely popular and heavily used material for machinable and durable plastic parts. For as far back as we can find information, this Zytel 42 Nylon 6/6 resin has been used in numerous food contact and food processing machine components.

We have just received notice that Dupont will be making some changes to their formula for this Nylon grade. For years we have provided our clients with Dupont Zytel 42 Nylon resin extruded into sheet, rod and other profiles. The Dupont announcement states that the Zytel 42 will no longer have a food grade rating – FDA approval. They will produce a new resin called Zytel 42FG, which will have all the approvals we always had with the Zytel 42.

Why in the world would a company do such a thing? Our guess is that this is a cleaver way to increase prices significantly without a standard and blatant price increase. Let’s just hide it in a new resin package.

Nylon Sheet, Nylon Slab and Nylon Rod are all available as these:

Zytel 42 – will still be available, but without the FDA approval

Zytel 42FG – the ‘new’ resin will carry the FDA approval, but at much higher price

Nylon Food Grade still available

Large Cast Nylon Blocks 12" X 12" X 48"

These huge Cast Nylon Blocks 12″ X 12″ X 48″

What is the difference between the old Zytel 42 and the new Zytel 42FG? From what we have read so far, nothing. It is probably the same material, new name. The ‘new’ Zytel 42 is actually the new ‘dumbed’ down resin – they just took away the Food Grade label, maybe took out an ingredient or two, and viola, new Zytel 42 – non Food Grade Nylon.

This news has spread quickly through our industry. As mentioned above, we have provided this material in this grade for over 36 years for Food Grade/FDA Approved applications.

The main reason for this article is to get the news out the the marketplace. Engineers and designers have been specifying this resin for their applications, and now, with out much notice, the product they assume is Food Grade will no longer be acceptable for these applications. It is unclear at this point whether the extrusion plants will be producing product from both resins, or opting to use one or the other. It appears that Nylon Food Grade resins my become a special, or that all materials may becomes standard as Nylon Food Grade.

Is Nylon Food Grade Resin Important To You?

This is the question we find ourselves asking. Does the end user think of Nylon when they are looking for an FDA approved plastic? Or, do they consider Acetal Copolymer, Acetal Homopolymer, Polyethylene, and other materials first? Do you think of Nylon rod, bar, sheet and slab as mechanical materials to use when making gears, wear strips, and other non FDA applications?

Please take a moment and let us know you thoughts. We value your input – it will help us in evaluating the direction we want to go with our inventory.

Check our main website for more details on these and other plastic materials – www.iplasticsupply.com