A Primer on the Use of LLDPE as Reliable Industrial Packaging Supplies

Take a regular plastic bag and try stretching it as much as your strength allows. You may end up with a substantially wider material though perhaps not wide enough to cover a pallet full of cargo.

Plastic, in terms of common public use, often refers to polyethylene, the most popular form of plastic in the world. There are three major types of polyethylene: high density (HDPE), low density (LDPE), and linear low density (LLDPE). Grocery bags are usually made out of HDPE for strength, while plastic industrial packaging supplies are normally LLDPE.

Strength and Flexibility

Grocery bags have to carry loads of items, which is why HDPE and its high tensile strength is the primary choice. However, HDPE's strength comes at the cost of flexibility, given its packed molecular structure (hence, "high density"). If you'll look at the molecular diagram of HDPE, it's linear.

You may think LDPE must be the prime choice for stretch wrap film; but it's not, either. While LDPE has the flexibility to be made into stretch wrap, its branched molecular structure makes it the weakest of the polyethylene family in terms of tensile strength. Think of a translucent plastic bottle that you need to squeeze for the contents to come out.

Manufacturers, fortunately, found a way to balance strength and flexibility in the form of LLDPE. Its molecular structure consists of a linear chain with small branches, almost like a number line. This allows quality stretch wrap film like ones from World Packaging Inc. to be strong and flexible at the same time.

Applications

This marriage of strength and flexibility proves particularly useful in the packaging industry. The primary purpose of stretch wrap film, after all, is to secure pallet cargo and protect it while in transit. In addition, stretch wrap film is strong enough to deter most attempts at tampering. Not surprisingly, some plastic bags are now made of LLDPE.

Stretch wrap film can be produced for hand or machine applications. They can be used to wrap just about everything from bundles of newspapers to large batches of consumables. Consequently, businesses can rest assured that their shipments arrived intact and unspoiled.