The impact of the difference between PET and PE materials on the design of plastic products

 

In the design process of plastic products, the choice of materials is a crucial link. As two common plastic materials, the differences between PET and PE have a profound impact on the design of plastic products. Understanding these differences will help designers better choose the right materials to create plastic products with better performance and greater durability.

 

Price of raw materials

When considering the economic factors of plastic product design, the cost of raw materials is an indispensable part. PET raw materials and PE raw materials differ in price. Generally, the price of PET raw materials is higher than that of PE raw materials. For example, ordinary blow-bottle-grade PET such as Wankai WK-801 costs about 9,500 yuan/ton, while high-density polyethylene such as Saudi HD025 costs about 8,400 yuan/ton.

 

Processing molds

The choice of molds and processing technology also have an important impact on the design of plastic products. PET bottle embryos are usually formed using hot runner molds, which have relatively complex processing technology and high costs. In contrast, PE plastic does not require the use of hot runner molds, and its processing is simpler. Therefore, with the same number of cavities, the production cost of PET molds is often higher than that of PE molds.

 

Color characteristics

The color characteristics of plastic products are also one of the factors that need to be considered during design. Since PET itself is transparent, and the lids of many plastic products need to be colored, in order to meet this demand, designers may choose to use PE plastics, which are inherently opaque. Of course, with the advancement of technology, how to make highly transparent PET materials into opaque products has also become a new research topic.

 

Hardness performance

Hardness performance is an important indicator of plastic materials, which directly affects the performance and durability of plastic products. Since PET material has a higher hardness than PE, PET plastic may be a better choice in some applications that require higher strength and rigidity. However, for lids that require higher sealing, PE plastic is more suitable as a lid material due to its lower hardness.

 

Recycling and regeneration

When discussing the sustainability of plastic product design, recycling and regeneration is an important link that cannot be ignored. Although PET plastic has good recyclability, how to achieve its effective recycling is a technical challenge. For example, it takes a series of complex processes and links to make discarded PET plastic into recycled products such as sunshade nets. In addition, different types of plastic products may also face different technical and economic difficulties in the recycling process. Therefore, it is of great significance to fully consider the demand and possibility of recycling and regeneration in the design stage to promote the sustainable development of plastic products.

 

Crushing process

In the recycling and regeneration process of plastic products, the crushing process is a key link. It involves crushing the discarded plastic products for subsequent recycling. Different types of plastic products may have different crushing processes, but in general, the efficiency and effect of the crushing process will directly affect the overall benefits of recycling. Therefore, it is of great significance to fully consider the demand and feasibility of the crushing process in the design stage of plastic products to promote the sustainable development of plastic products.

 

Color separation process

In the recycling and regeneration process of plastic products, color separation is an indispensable link. It mainly classifies the crushed plastic fragments according to different colors to ensure the efficiency and purity of subsequent recycling. The accuracy and efficiency of color separation will also have a direct impact on the overall effect of recycling. Therefore, in the design and recycling process of plastic products, the needs and challenges of color separation need to be fully considered.

 

Granulation

After color separation, the plastic fragments will enter the granulation stage. This step is to reshape the plastic fragments of different colors into granules for subsequent recycling. The process and quality of granulation are also related to the overall effect of recycling.

 

Finished particles

After a fine granulation process, plastic fragments of different colors are carefully shaped and finally made into granular finished particles. These finished particles will serve as key raw materials for recycling and provide strong support for subsequent utilization.

 

Finished particles and sunshade nets

After a fine granulation process, plastic fragments of various colors are cleverly shaped and finally converted into granular finished particles. These particles not only serve as valuable raw materials for recycling and regeneration, contributing to the recycling of resources, but are also widely used in many fields, such as the production of sunshade nets.

 

Wire drawing process

Wire drawing is a crucial link in the process of plastic recycling and regeneration. Through this process, we can convert granular finished particles into filaments, further expanding their application range. These filaments are not only of high quality, but also have stable performance, providing reliable raw material guarantee for the production of various plastic products.

 

Warp knitting process

In the production process of plastic products, warp knitting plays an indispensable role. It involves weaving filaments according to certain rules and methods to form plastic products with specific structures and properties. This process not only determines the appearance and shape of the product, but also has a profound impact on its durability and practicality.

 

Netting process

In the manufacturing process of plastic products, netting process is a crucial link. It covers the interweaving of filaments according to established patterns and rules to create plastic products with specific forms and functions. This process is not only related to the appearance of the product, but also has a decisive influence on its internal quality and durability.

 

Recycling and utilization of finished nets

When discussing the recycling and utilization of plastic products, we have to pay attention to finished nets. In the market, bottle caps are mainly made of PE, with a small amount of PP. Since PP and PE can be well separated from PET, this has limited impact on the recycling of PET bottles. However, in the recycling process of bottle caps, there is often a problem of material classification. This raises a question: For recycling plants and downstream companies, are they more inclined to use recycled materials with a higher PE content? This is worth further discussion.