What is nylon, how many types? Which nylon is safe for health?

What is nylon?

Nylon is the common name for a group of synthetic polymers , belonging to the group of industrial plastics Polyamide (PA plastic) .

With characteristics of soft, smooth but waterproof, resistant to weather phenomena, resistant to natural influences such as mold or insects, nylon is quickly applied and widely used in many fields. sectors and industries from agriculture, industry, transportation to construction…

From nylon or nylon fibers, one can make familiar products such as footmats, tablecloths, raincoats, garbage bags, gloves, food wraps, kitchen utensils, etc. The most used are probably nylon bags.

Classification of nylon by material

The nylon products on the market are mainly made from PolEthylene (PE plastic) and PolyPropylene (PP plastic).

PE . Plastic

– Is a thermoplastic, slightly transparent white color, does not conduct electricity and does not conduct heat, does not allow water and gas to penetrate.

– It is chemically inert (does not react with acids, alkalis, bromines and is less soluble in water, solvents, detergents, etc.).

– PE plastic absorbs and retains odors in the packaging itself and can be absorbed back into the food contained in it.

– Depending on the type, PE has different melting temperatures, at about 120 degrees Celsius.

Depending on the density of PolyEthylene, people divide PE plastic into many types, of which the most commonly used are HDPE and LDPE .

HDPE plastic

HDPE is a high density PolyEthylene plastic . HDPE has high strength, impact resistance, little deformation or scratches, withstands temperatures of 120 degrees Celsius in a short time, is not affected by the environment, does not release toxicity.

HDPE is considered the best and safest plastic . It is most commonly used in the field of packaging , often used to produce plastic products such as: plastic bottles, milk jugs, hard plastic bottles, detergent bottles, cooking oil containers, toys. and some plastic bags.

Products made from HDPE are often marked with the number 2 on the surface for identification.

LDPE Nhựa Plastic

LDPE is a low density PolyEthylene plastic , chemically inert but less physically strong than HDPE (heat-resistant at 95 degrees Celsius for a short time, so it cannot be used in the microwave, easy to break and scratch. than HDPE).

The main application is to manufacture chemical bottles, nylon gloves, nylon bags, cargo bags and cake shells .

LDPE is marked with the number 4 on the component products.

PP plastic

Characteristic:

– High mechanical strength (difficult to be torn or pulled), but easily torn when there is a small cut or puncture, quite hard, not as flexible as PE, often made into fibers.

– Slightly transparent, high surface gloss, capable of printing on clear surfaces.

– Can withstand high temperatures of 130 – 170 degrees Celsius.

– Resistant to oxygen, steam, grease and other gases.

Thanks to its relatively high chemical inertness and good physical and thermal strength, PP is widely used in the manufacture of food containers (especially those that can be used in microwave ovens), packaging. 1 layer of food preservation, food or grain packaging.

PP is also produced in the form of a coating film for multi-layer product packaging to increase gas and vapor permeability, create a high gloss for the packaging, and at the same time, easy to print and easy to tear to open the package. preformed a break).

PP plastic is marked with the number 5 on the product.

Recommend by experts

Choosing healthy nylon will need to be careful when using them in direct contact with food. In this case, it is generally recommended to choose HDPE or PP plastic .

If comparing in terms of durability and heat resistance, PP plastic has an advantage over HDPE.

Products made from HDPE or PP are both safe and environmentally friendly products, capable of being recycled .

Particularly for products from LDPE plastic, although they are also quite safe, they cannot be recycled and are less environmentally friendly.

To protect health and the environment, everyone needs to understand to choose the right nylon plastic products that are safe, recyclable, and avoid “plastic waste” that destroys the beauty of living space and the environment. natural field.

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