Custom plastic containers are beneficial in commercial product packaging, particularly when compared to stock alternatives. A custom container will ensure that your exact requirements are met in terms of quality, capacity and performance. Moreover, your design can help in brand recognition and the establishment of your products in the market. On the other hand, there are numerous commodity plastics in the market, so choosing the right match can be difficult. Therefore, consider these outlined factors in relation to our packaging needs before selecting the fabrication plastic.

Tensile Strength

You should consider the strength of different commodity plastics and compare with your packaging needs. The most important aspect with regard to the resilience of the material is the tensile strength. In simple terms, tensile strength refers to the capacity of the plastic to resist breakage or distortion when under tension or elongation force. The level of strength that you will require for your custom containers will depend on the type of products you plan to package. For example, highly viscous fluids will cause more tension to the container, so you will need a stronger plastic.

Chemical Resistance

If you are planning on packaging chemical solutions, you should consider the ability of the selected plastic to withstand exposure and degradation. In general, plastics are resistant to most chemical elements, particularly in comparison with metals which are vulnerable to corrosion. However, the resistance level can vary for each specific polymer. For example, both propylene and polyethylene are resistant to acids and bases. However, the latter will be degraded by strong oxidants while the former can withstand exposure to gentle oxidants.

Thermal Stability

Commodity plastics are highly vulnerable to heat and high temperatures, so they are not utilised in applications which could lead to this type of exposure. However, this is an important factor because the structure of the plastic will be affected by ambient temperature. Often, if some plastics are exposed to relatively high temperature, they become softer and more susceptible to distortion and general damage. Therefore, you should ensure that the container will remain stable during transportation, storage and distribution. Compare the product you plan to package and the potential conditions it will be exposed to with the softening point of the plastic.

There are other multiple factors that will affect the performance of custom containers made from different commodity plastics. These include UV stability, colour, impact resistance, abrasive resistance and even flammability. If you are not certain about the most appropriate choice, you should discuss your requirements with a plastics fabricator.