Plastics are an integral part of most people’s lives today – think drink bottles, takeaway containers, plastic bags, car dashboards; even the coating on our coat hangers and phone charger cables.
Plastics Come in Many Types
But not all plastics are the same type. The different types of plastic are almost too many to list, or know, unless you’re a plastic specialist. Common ones you may have heard of include:
- polypropylene, also known as PPE, which is commonly used in takeaway soft drink bottles
- polyethylene, often used for plastic bags and more heavy duty drink containers like 5kg water drums, and
- polyvinyl chloride, known as PVC, which is increasingly used for plumbing pipes instead of terracotta, metal or concrete due to its lighter weight and the fact that it can’t be penetrated by tree roots.
Even polystyrene, the white, very lightweight substance that fills bean bags and, in years gone by, was very commonly used as packing material to protect fragile goods during transport, is a type of plastic.
And then there is high density polyethylene, more commonly known as HDPE.
HDPE – The Heavy Lifter of the Plastics
HDPE is one of the most widely used plastics and is commonly used in heavy-duty industrial situations, such as for water tanks, chemical tanks, sewage treatment plants and desalination plants.
This is because it is extremely strong and hard to break, even in cold climates. Like other types of plastics, it is much lighter weight than alternative substances like concrete. It also has a strong resistance to most chemicals and won’t corrode, unlike metal.
Being a thermoplastic, it is easy to mould to different shapes and retains the shape once cooled. HDPE is so tough that it can withstand the considerable water pressure associated with retaining the contents of swimming pools.
High Quality SIMONA HDPE from Plastic Warehouse – Hard to Beat
Plastic Warehouse sells many types of plastic products, including sheets of high-grade HDPE, manufactured by renowned German company SIMONA. Plastic Warehouse’s HDPE provides excellent stability at a wide temperature range, from -50 to +80 C, making it suitable in most Australian conditions (although some parts of Antarctica during the coldest times of the year may be pushing it).
Food-grade and UV-Stabilised Available
Plastic Warehouse’s HDPE range includes:
- black HDPE which is stabilised for UV exposure, giving it a long life for outdoor use, and
- white HDPE, which is authorised by the FDA as safe for use with food.
Contact Plastic Warehouse for more information about their SIMONA HDPE.
