PACKAGING MATERIAL VOCABULARY

For faster orientation, we have prepared an overview for you of the most used materials for production of packaging. For a simpler orientation, we only list the basic characteristics of these materials, however, our representatives are ready to provide you with more details and help you when choosing suitable products.

Low Density PolyEthylene with a density of 0.910 to 0.925 kg/cm3 – excels with many sought out features: Clearness (better than HDPE), flexibility, good resistance against impact, oils, and chemicals, substantial impenetrability to water (worse than HDPE), weldability, ease of processing, and low price. Can be used by itself or in combination with other types of ethyl polymers or with other packaging material such as aluminum or paper. LLDPE is its biggest competitor.

Medium Density PolyEthylene with a density of 0.925 to 0,.940 kg/cm3. Has somewhat better mechanical firmness, and is stiffer and less permeable than LDPE with a lower density. MDPE is processed similarly to LDPE, but under slightly higher temperatures.

High Density PolyEthylene with a density of 0.935 to 0.965 kg/cm3. It is the second most used polymer in the packaging technology. It excels in resistance towards water, alcohols, ketones, diluted acid, and alkali solutions. It has good mechanical characteristics, and is a good barrier against moisture, but not against oxygen and organic matters. Its disadvantage is its tendency to suffer stress corrosion – products made from HDPE get cracks.

Linear Low Density PolyEthylene with a density of 0.916-0.940 kg/cm3. Thanks to its regular structure, LLDPE has better mechanical characteristics and a higher thaw point than LDPE with the same density. It also has better clearness and gloss and thermal weldability. Typical applications of LLDPE are stretchable and adhesive foils.

Metalocen Linear Low Density PolyEthylene is the most modern addition for extreme stiffness, firmness, flexibility, resistance, and stability of packaging foils. It also shows better clearness and gloss and thermal weldability. Typical applications of mLDPEE are stretchable and adhesive foils. Metalocen Copolymers represent the newest and most modern group of ethylene polymers.

Jedno či více vrstevné fólie z nesmršťujícího materiálu jsou hojně využívané v potravinářství, tiskařství, Single or multilayer foils made of unshrinkable material are often used in the food, printing, and textile industry and other industries where one must preserve good visibility of products or maintain the option of printing on packaging. It is a high-quality firm but fragile material. As a standard, it is offered in the BOPP, CPP, and BOPP antifog versions.

It is a multilayer shrinkable material which is very valued thanks to its high firmness, clearness, and maximal resistance against external factors. It offers a high degree of protection against air, frost, and humidity, and also against physical damage. It is maximally suitable for food and other industries where it is necessary to encompass products according to their own shape and also stress their visual characteristics.

It is a highly shrinkable foil which has already been overcome by more modern materials. Some of its advantages are the simplicity of use (it works at almost any type of machine). Some companies offer types of foils approved for the food industry, however, it is still a foil with a high content of poisonous phthalates (DEHP and DBP) which are released, for example, when welded (chlorine, etc.). Another disadvantage of this foil is its shape and color instability; in time, the foil becomes fragile and its color changes – the foil becomes yellowish.

Aluminum foil with a density of 2.7 kg/m3, is used as an effective protection when baking or for flexible food packaging. The foil is very supple and impermeable to light and air, that is why it is often used for packaging products sensitive to humidity or oxygen. To improve resistance, it is often laminated on other materials such as paper or plastic.

Cardboard is paper with a higher area weight made of several layers, usually a composition of various fibers. The materials used are almost 90% already recycled materials, and the cardboard itself is fully recyclable and useable as a secondary material. It does not contain any toxins or forbidden chemical substances and meets the requirements of Section 4 of the Act no 477/2001 Coll. (Act on Waste).

Two layer corrugated cardboard

Progressive packaging material made by gluing one layer of corrugated paper and a smooth cover layer using starch glue. Used for packaging fragile goods, as top packaging for furniture makers, cardboard plates for rests, or protective and damping insertion in group or transport packaging.

Container and luggage cardboard

Gray stiff cardboard with a thickness of 1.1 – 3 mm, typically made from recycled paper. It is used mainly in the furniture making industry and as a foundation for upholstery and bolstering, for production of cardboard boxes and packaging, such as book or luggage cardboard with various surface treatment depending on the use (calendaring, infusing, varnishing, backing, lamination, print, etc.)

Pasted cardboard

Very good mechanical characteristics. Made by gluing 2 – 5 layers of machine cardboard with various fiber compositions. Calendared and cut multilayer gray cardboard is designed mainly for the furniture industry.

Cardboard edges

They are two-ply corner pieces shaped by the simple gluing of non-stop winding rolls of paper and cardboard. They are used for strengthening and securing a load on a pallet. They can be used multiple times and are fully recyclable.