Plastic film

Not to be confused with Plastic (film).
Film strip
6 mil Polyethylene plastic sheet as vapor barrier in construction
Confectionery packaging made of PLA-blend bio-flex bioplastic
Shrink wrapped OH-58 Kiowa helicopters to be shipped.

Plastic film is a thin continuous polymeric material. Thicker plastic material is often called a “sheet”. These thin plastic membranes are used to separate areas or volumes, to hold items, to act as barriers, or as printable surfaces.

Plastic films are used in a wide variety of applications. These include: packaging, plastic bags, labels, building construction, landscaping, electrical fabrication, photographic film, film stock for movies, video tape, etc.

Materials

Almost all plastics can be formed into a thin film. Some of the primary ones are:

Processes

A tube of extruded film being blown to expand

Plastic films are usually thermoplastics and are formed by melting for forming the film.

Further processing

Plastic films are typically formed into rolls by roll slitting. Often additional coating or printing operations are also used. Films can be modified by physical vapor deposition to make metallised films. Films can be subjected to corona treatment or Plasma processing; films can have release agents applied as needed.

See also

References

    Standards by ASTM International

    D882 – Standard Test Method for Tensile Properties of Thin Plastic Sheeting
    D1004 – Standard Test Method for Tear Resistance (Graves Tear) of Plastic Film and Sheeting
    D1204 – Standard Test Method for Linear Dimensional Changes of Nonrigid Thermoplastic Sheeting or Film at Elevated Temperature
    D1593 – Standard Specification for Nonrigid Vinyl Chloride Plastic Film and Sheeting
    D1709 – Standard Test Methods for Impact Resistance of Plastic Film by the Free Falling Dart Method
    D1894 – Standard Test Method for Static and Kinetic Coefficients of Friction of Plastic Film and Sheeting
    D1922 – Standard Test Method for Propagation Tear Resistance of Plastic Film and Thin Sheeting by Pendulum Method
    D1938 – Standard Test Method for Tear Propagation Resistance of Plastic Film and Thin Sheeting by a Single Tear Method
    D2103 – Standard Specification for Polyethylene Film and Sheeting
    D2582 – Standard Test Method for Puncture Propagation Tear Resistance of Plastic Film and Thin Sheeting
    D2673 – Standard Specification for Oriented Polypropylene Film
    D2732 – Standard Test Method for Unrestrained Linear Thermal Shrinkage of Plastic Film and Sheeting
    D2838 -Standard Test Method for Shrink Tension and Orientation Release Stress of Plastic Film and Thin Sheeting
    D2923 – Standard Test Method for Rigidity of Polyolefin Film and Sheeting
    D3420 – Standard Test Method for Pendulum Impact Resistance of Plastic Film
    D3595 – Standard Specification for Polychlorotrifluoroethylene (PCTFE) Extruded Plastic Sheet and Film
    D3664 – Standard Specification for Biaxially Oriented Polymeric Resin Film for Capacitors in Electrical Equipment
    D3985 – Standard Test Method for Oxygen Gas Transmission Rate Through Plastic Film and Sheeting Using a Coulometric Sensor
    D4321 – Standard Test Method for Package Yield of Plastic Film
    D5047 – Standard Specification for Polyethylene Terephthalate Film and Sheeting
    D6287 – Standard Practice for Cutting Film and Sheeting Test Specimens
    D6988 – Standard Guide for Determination of Thickness of Plastic Film Test Specimens
    E1870 – Standard Test Method for Odor and Taste Transfer from Polymeric Packaging Film
    F2029- Standard Practices for Making Heatseals for Determination of Heatsealability of Flexible Webs as Measured by Seal Strength
    F2622 – Standard Test Method for Oxygen Gas Transmission Rate Through Plastic Film and Sheeting Using Various Sensors

    Books and general references

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