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Plastic Sheeting called Visqueen

Posted by Nana Hinsley on Fri, Apr 29, 2022 @ 02:59

 Visqueen has become the generic name for plastic sheeting, just as Kleenex has become the generic name for tissue. When someone asks for Visqueen, they are referring to a lesser grade of plastic sheeting. The plastic sheeting known as Visqueen has become a generic name for Construction and Agricultural Grade Polyethylene sheeting (C&A film)? People will often do a search for "anti-static visqueen, or fire retardant visqueen" when they may be looking for an engineered plastic.Did you know that Visqueen is actually a company in the UK?  C&A film contains up to 25% post consumer recycled content, and is made from the least expensive resins available at any given time.  While it is excellent for use in many projects, we do not feel it is ideal for any use that requires sustained strenght such as a tarp or for use as a vapor/moisture barrier or retarder.  Our choice is to recommend engineered films like VaporBlock Plus for this purpose to block as much of the moisture, radon, methane and VOC's as possible.  VaporBlock Plus

The engineered films are designed to last forever buried in the soil, where C&A film often completely breaks down within a couple of years. Have you ever dug up some old black plastic? Remember how torn and crusty it was? 

It's important that today's vapor/moisture barriers or retarders should pass the ASTM E1745 Class A, B and C (standard for underslab vapor retarders in contact with soil or granular fill) , especially since most homeowner's insurance coverage for mold is very limited today.  Builders are experiencing a much higher level of mold related repair costs and lawsuits since the time when most insurance companies changed their mold coverage to active leaks only.

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Tags: visqueen, plastic sheeting, VaporBlock Plus, vapor barrier, moisture barrier, radon barrier

The History of Polyethylene

Posted by Nana Hinsley on Fri, Feb 13, 2015 @ 10:19

On March 27, 1933, two organic chemists working for the Imperial Chemical Industries Research Laboratory were testing various chemicals. To  R.O Gibson and E.W. Fawcett's surprise the white, waxy substance they were testing would become a revolutionary substance that would change the world. Polyethylene was born!

 polethylene resin for plastic sheeting

The researchers set off a reaction between ethylene and benzaldehyde, in an autoclave. It seems their testing container sprang a leak and all of the pressure escaped. There was the white, waxy substance that greatly resembled plastic. Upon carefully repeating and analyzing the experiment, the scientists discovered that the loss of pressure was only partly due to a leak; the major reason was the polymerization process that had occurred leaving behind polyethylene. The first patents for polythene were registered in 1936 by Imperial Chemical Industries.  A year later the first practical use for the material, as a film, was discovered. In 1953 Karl Ziegler of the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute and Erhard Holzkamp invented HDPE (High Density Polyethylene). From there, two years later, in 1955, HDPE was produced as pipe.  Ziegler was awarded the 1963 Nobel Prize for Chemistry.

Did you know that polyethylene played a key supporting role during World War II? It was first  used as an underwater cable coating and then as a critical insulating material for  vital military applications as radar insulation. This is because it was so light and thin that it made placing radar onto airplanes possible thus vastly reducing the weigh. The substance was a highly guarded secret.

After the war, polyethylene became a tremendous hit with consumers It became the first plastic in the United States to sell more than a billion pounds a year. It is currently the largest volume plastic in the world.

 Today, Polyethylene has the advantages of excellent moisture-vapor, chemical, and electrical resistance. It is widely used for making containers, wire cable insulation, pipe, linings, coatings, and engineered films. It is used to power transmission, consumer goods, packaging, electronics household good and more. Its principal disadvantage is poor mechanical strength, unless it has a little help from scrim reinforcement! Developments in technology continues to improve its functionality making it the most efficient use of natural resources petroleum and natural gas. We applaud these scientists for creating polyethylene that is used in a variety of plastic sheeting products today.

Polyethylene is the largest volume polymer produced globally, with over 90 million metric tons per year!

 

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Tags: plastic sheeting, polyethylene, film, history of polyethylene

Plastic Sheeting and Wine- Do they Go Together?

Posted by Nana Hinsley on Wed, Sep 10, 2014 @ 01:38

What does flexible plastic sheeting and wine have in common?  If you are a vineyard trying to conserve water, plastic sheeting can play a big role in your effort.  One of our customers, Pahlmeyer Waters Ranch Vineyard came up with the brilliant idea to take our scrim reinforced plastic sheeting and place the tarps between the rows and connected them under the vines, insuring there weren't any gaps.  When the rains came, the water ran down the plastic right into their silt pond as planned.  This plan worked like a charm saving water while allowing the vines to grow.

 

plastic sheeting for water reclamation

 

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Tags: plastic sheeting, water conservation

Plastic Sheeting...The Many Uses For Flexible Polyethylene

Posted by Nana Hinsley on Fri, Jan 24, 2014 @ 02:36

You sell what? Plastic Sheeting? What do you mean, “Plastic Sheeting” they will ask. You mean like the hard plastic you see in signs? No… You mean like the plastic sheeting that is in Las Vegas that covers tall building advertising Celine Dion?  Well yes you are getting closer. “How else can you describe the plastic sheeting that you sell” they will ask.  How about this, “Our plastic sheeting is like a GIANT roll of Saran Wrap, only its 6 feet wide by 100 or more feet long.”  Then the light starts to come on- sort of.  At this point they visualize one type of plastic sheeting- such as visqueen that they see at a home improvement store! 

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“What does one do with this roll of plastic sheeting” is the next question! I go on to explain that Global Plastic Sheeting doesn’t just sell one type of plastic sheeting- we sell a large variety of engineered plastic sheeting or flexible polyethylene.  When you throw in the words, “engineered plastic” you have really done it now!  “WHAT”?? You see, plastic sheeting is designed to work specifically for the surface or job it is intended for. “HUH”?? It’s kind of like seasoning for cooking.  Do you use just one type of seasoning for all the food you prepare? Or do you have different seasonings that are designed to enhance the type of food it will be added to? It’s like that with plastic sheeting. 

 

If a person is painting the interior and exterior of a house, or a contractor is working in a hotel, they want to make sure they don’t damage the floors, carpets, countertops, wood railings, etc. with paint drops or spills.  Each one of these surfaces can be optimally protected with a plastic sheeting film that is designed just for it.  Let’s take the countertops.  Do you want workmen to put their bulky tools, or painting trays on the beautiful granite counter tops without protecting them?  No.  You want to make sure that what is protecting the counter won’t slide off, or allow paint to seep through it.  Properly protecting counters calls for a product called, GPS Countertop Plastic.

Temporary Surface Protection  Counter top plastic-jpg

This plastic sheeting is sticky on one side, so the contractor can adhere it to the surface of the counter and be assured it won’t slip off until he/she removes it.  Self adhesive plastic sheeting for countertops has specially formulated adhesives that are strong enough to stick to the counter, but not so strong that it won’t come off at the end of the job!  You need an adhesive formulation that won’t ruin the counter- whether it is Corian, marble, granite, tile, etc. The GPS Countertop Plastic is an engineered film, meaning it was engineered in the lab to make sure that it would property protect the counter without doing any damage, or leaving any glue or adhesive behind.

Temporary Surface Protection 

Now, let’s think about the carpeting.  Carpeting is very expensive to replace. Professionals and informed home owners know that it is a very cost effective measure to put self adhesive GPS Carpet Plastic down on the carpeting so nothing can get through to the carpet and ruin it. Do you think the adhesive in the GPS Carpet Plastic is the same formulation as the formulation for the hard countertops? Of course not!  Once again you need an engineered plastic film that will allow adhesive to be applied to one side so it will stick nicely to the carpet. This adhesive is stronger than the adhesive for the counters due to the nature of the carpet fibers.  Again this is an engineered film because research had to go into making sure that the adhesive formulation would not leave any glue or adhesive residue on the carpeting when it is pulled up.  Why do professionals use self adhesive GPS Carpet Plastic instead of drop cloths?  For several reasons.  For one thing, once you put the GPS Carpet Plastic down, it’s not going to slip or inadvertently slide off the carpet exposing the carpeting to potential damage.  Plus, have you ever knocked over a paint can, or stepped in the pan? Trust me, you want a plastic sheeting product that won’t let the paint get through to the carpet.

CRAWL SPACE (Crawlspace) AND UNDER-SLAB VAPOR BARRIERS (retarders)

So now at this point I hope you are starting to get a feel for what engineered plastic sheeting is. Let’s take it one step further.  Have you ever thought about why wood floors don’t warp or get ruined when they are placed on

 

 

concrete slabs? How is it that the ground water under the concrete isn’t permeating the concrete and ruining the wood?  Once again we have an engineered plastic sheeting vapor barrier that is placed under the concrete so it can block the water that naturally wants to rise to the surface.  Can any plastic hold up in that environment year after year?  Absolutely not!  A lot of time and money went into designing all different types of vapor barriers that will retard vapors from rising from the ground.  And another consideration is creating or engineering a vapor barrier that can also block methane gas, radon gas, and other dangerous gases that cause lung cancer. A vapor barrier must be engineered with a very tight cell structure to stop the gas molecules from penetrating the plastic sheeting, also called a vapor retarder. WOW what an invention!  Most people will comment that they never once gave a thought to needing a vapor retarder that goes under their home of office building.

Another place where plastic sheeting is used extensively is in crawl spaces or basements.  People who live in the part of the country that have crawl spaces and basements are all too aware of needing plastic sheeting to encapsulate their crawlspace. The crawlspace is often smelly or musty smelling.  When a contractor puts down a crawl space vapor barrier/ retarder it will keep the water from seeping up into the crawl space.

Additives for Plastic Sheeting:  Fire Retardant Plastic Sheeting

When you bring up “fire retardant plastic sheeting” the eyebrows seem to go up.  “What?? Plastic can become fire retardant….NO WAY” is often the comment.  “How is that possible?”  Once again, the reason there are so many varied types of plastic sheeting is because polyethylene can accept additives to its formulation.  A fire retardant additive is added, and voila- fire retardant plastic sheeting is here to serve applications that require fire retardant materials.  Where is fire retardant plastic used?  Lots of places-Ship building, aerospace, hospitals, commercial building projects, theatre, haunted houses to list a few.  Any place where a fire could be an issue, and where life and limb are at stake- fire retardant plastic sheeting is a must.  So much so that the fire marshal will inspect and make sure the plastic is fire retardant.  What confuses some people is that when a fire retardant sheet of plastic is exposed to a flame, the plastic won’t be a fuel source for the fire.  It will merely melt and extinguish.  If you would like to see a video of this, click here and watch as we put a blow torch to a piece of regular non-fire retardant plastic, and a fire retardant piece of plastic.  Seeing is believing!

What are some of the other additives that are added to Plastic Sheeting? 

Anti-Static Additive:  This additive is added to our Anti-Static Fire Retardant plastic- or ASFR-6.  The Anti-static additive resists static build up. The reason this is necessary is because unlike so many common every-day items that have an equal number of positive and negative charges, friction can cause the plastic to become electrically charged. If this happens sparks can happen which will damage electronic devices. ASFR-6 doesn’t allow dust to stick to it. This matters in abatement applications

UV Stabilizers:  So often plastic sheeting/ liners are used outside in direct sun light. The UV from the sun is a direct enemy of the plastic.  The sun’s UV will decompose a liner pretty quickly over time.  UV stabilizers give plastic sheeting a much longer life outside.

Color Additives:  While you may not stop and think about it, plastic sheeting comes in a rainbow of colors.  The most common colors are black and white, but other colors prevail.

These are just a few of the additives that can be added to polyethylene to engineer its performance to suit the application.

THICKNESS OF PLASTIC SHEETING

The next topic that seems to come up is the thickness of the plastic sheeting. “Is it all the same thickness- or are there different thicknesses”?  When you haven’t given a thought to the flexible film industry before- how could you know if there are varying thicknesses of plastic. The answer is, “yes”.  Plastic sheeting goes from 1 mil all the way up to 100+ mils thick.  A “mil” is a measurement that equals one-thousandth of an inch, or 0.001 inch. For example, most human hair is one-thousandth of and inch thick.  It then goes to follow that a 6 mil film (plastic sheeting) is thicker and is 6-thousandths of an inch, or 0.006 inch. Does thicker mean stronger?  Is a 10 mil liner stronger than a 6 mil scrim (String) reinforced liner?  OH OH!  Let’s take this a little further….

Not only can plastic sheeting have fire retardant additives added but it can be manufactured in layers.  In the middle of 2 layers, and can a layer of scrim (String).  This is applied in a pattern. The Dura-Skrim plastic sheeting products put their heavy duty scrim in a diagonal pattern space 3/8” apart. They then add an additional machine direction scrim every 9” across the width. Why?? The string or scrim as it is referred to addes a great deal of strength to the film.  When an application needs enhanced tear resistance and a long life for the plastic sheeting, adding the scrim makes the difference. What happens is the string/scrim responds immediately to tears and surrounds the tears and stops them. Applications that appreciate string reinforced plastic sheeting are ones where you want a thinner film such as a 6 mil that can still do the job of a heavy duty plastic sheeting product.  Dura-Skrim 2 is a champion for use in construction enclosures, temporary walls, temporary covers, and much more.

PLASTIC SHEETING USED IN AQUAPONICS AND WATER FEATURES:

aquaponics plastic sheeting

What happens if you want to line a fish pond with plastic so the water won’t seep back into the earth?  Will any old liner do the job? What things must you consider when building a pond? One of the first things that has to be established is whether you will be adding fish to the pond. Did you know that common plastic sheeting can leach bad chemicals into the water which can kill your fish?  Have you thought about how robust a liner you need depending on how rocky the ground is where you are putting the liner? You also need to think about whether animals such as deer will be walking into your pond.  If they are, you need a strong liner that won’t puncture when their hooves dig into the pond liner. This is one more example of why there are so many varieties of plastic sheeting product engineered for the application.

GREENHOUSE PLASTIC SHEETING

Oh that’s right. You have seen countless greenhouses that have roofs made from plastic sheeting!  They are everywhere! What if a green roof film was made similar to bubble wrap, but with industrial strength?  What could be accomplished by adding bubbles to plastic sheeting? What you would get is a product called, SolaWrap! bubble green house roof Engineers long ago discovered that by adding the bubbles you could attain a R-vale of 1.7, with a transparence of 83%. With 83% diffused light you will have plants that flourish!  What else does this plastic sheeting need to do it’s job as a green house roof?  It needs UV additives so it can last 10 years!  The film needs to be strong enough to support a snow load!  Look what can be done by making some additions to the standard polyethylene film!

HEAT SHRINK WRAP

GPS heat shrink wrap

Have you ever stopped to realize that those building that you see surrounded by plastic sheeting are being done so with “Heat Shrink Wrap”?  How genius it was to discover that you can formulate the plastic in such a way that when you add heat to it, it shrinks and envelops the object it is surrounding!  Heat shrink wrap is used for wrapping yachts, boats, bridges, US Navy ships, scaffolding, all sorts of packaging for shipment and more.  When you see a building wrapped, this is because the construction crew may want to protect the interior from the elements. It also makes for a warmer environment to work in during the winter months.

This article just barely scratches the surface regarding “plastic sheeting”.  It’s quite an expansive product line that serves aerospace, aquaponics, automotive, FEMA, haunted houses, ice skating rinks, maritime/marine industry as well as the packaging arena.  The best part of this product is the fact that it can be manipulated to best serve the customer.  One can decide how much adhesive they want added to the plastic depending on what it needs to stick to.  Plastic sheeting can be made with a very tight cell structure, or one that needs to breathe.  It can be stiff or flexible, withstand the cold, heat, wind, sun, etc.  As much as plastic takes a lot of heat for harming the environment, engineered plastic is here to serve and protect as they say- the surfaces they are used with. Ground water is protected with HDPE liners, and roads use plastic sheeting to capture the dirty oily water that comes off the road, and direct it to a place where it can be filtered before in enters the earth.  Many plastic can be recycled as well. Our goal is to provide the very best plastic sheeting made in the USA to perform it’s designed duties it was designed for.

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Tags: plastic sheeting

Plastic Sheeting is known by many names...

Posted by Nana Hinsley on Fri, May 31, 2013 @ 09:07

Plastic sheeting is a general term that is a catch all phrase for many terms in the industry.  Plastic sheeting's other names are: liners, vapor barriers, vapor retarders, films, polyethylene sheeting. poly sheeting, visqueen, plastic film, reinforced plastic, self-adhesive films, tarps, root barriers, underlayments, greenhouse films, plastic covering, and so on. Plastic sheeting is often made from polyethylene film as its main ingredient.  Other additives can be added to it.

The beauty of plastic sheeting is the various ways it can be manufactured to best serve the application it is intended for. Below are some examples of the varieties of plastic sheeting. The highlighted terms will link you to the website with these products.

Fire retardant plasticFire Retardant: Plastic sheeting can be made to be fire retardant.  Fire retardant additives are added to the plastic so that it does not burn when it is exposed to flames.  That is not to say the plastic sheeting won't melt, but it won't add to the fire source. Fire retardant plastic is very popular in aerospace, maritime, museums, haunted houses, and events that need plastic sheeting where people will be involved. Most often the fire marshal will require proof in the way of documentation that the plastic sheeting is indeed fire retardant when it comes to using it for public events.

Sticky Plastic self adhesiveSelf Adhesive:  When construction work is being done, it is very efficient to have self-adhesive plastic sheeting covering a variety of surfaces. Carpeting, counters, windows, flooring, doors and more can be covered with self-adhesive plastic sheeting to protect the surface from damage.  These surface protection films have a self adhesive coating on one side, and not on the other.  The film sticks to the surface and holds it in place until it is time to remove it. A 3 mil film will very successfully protect the surfaces.  With carpeting, a woman can wear high stilleto heels and not puncture the plastic.  Carpet plastic is very popular to protect carpeting during parties. Those wings won't hurt a thing if they fall to the floor with the red wine!

String reinforcedScrim/String Reinforced:  Polyethylene sheeting can be made in layers, with a layer of string/scim reinforcement in the plastic.  What this does is make the plastic much stonger and able to stand up to wind and harsher condtions.  It is very popular on job sites where construction curtains are made.

U.V. (Ultra Violet) Protection:  The sun deteriorates plastic in record time.  Notice the torn up black plastic on piles of dirt in an empty lot.  That plastic did not receive the UV additive to protect it from the sun's strong rays. By looking at the life expectancy of the plastic sheeting, you can determin how long it will hold up when it is exposed to the sun.

Regrind vs virgin polyethylene:  Plastic sheeting is termed, "virgin resin" when the film is 100% polyethylene. manufacturers can throw in "regrind" which is recycled plastic.  When this is done, it weakens the plastic sheeting.  In some application, it doen't matter if there is regrind. Most HDPE liners are virgin polyethylen because the application that need that type of plastic, need a strong dependable liner to do the work. 

Harmful Gas Blockers:  Some plastic sheeting is specifically designed to block out harmful VOC's  such as Radon, Methane, and the like.  The cell structure in these films are so small that these gases cannot pass through. This same plastic sheeting blocks moisture transmission.

Vapor Retarders:  Water from the earth looks for ways to rise to the surface.  Many buildings today use vapor barriers (vapor retarders) to retard the moisture migration through concrete slabs and concrete walls thus protecting the structure.

Textured plastic sheetingTextured Plastic Sheeting:  Some applications want a little grip on the plastic sheeting, so people won't slip and fall should the plastic get wet.  Texturing is a nice way to accomplish this.  There are several films that have texture specifically for this purpose.

This is just a very small sample of the types of plastic sheeting products that exist. For more information please look through our website, or give us a call (866.597.9298). We love to talk about plastic!

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Tags: plastic sheeting

Plastic Sheet/Sheeting- What types exist?

Posted by Nana Hinsley on Mon, Apr 15, 2013 @ 12:07

Plastic sheet (sheeting) comes in a variety of compositions which vastly affect the nature of the plastic.  Plastic is one of the most versitile products that is used in many aspects of daily life. From car parts, to children's toys, water bottles, televisions and now aircraft, plastic is molded into plastic sheets, parts, and gagets. Plastic is the chosen  material because it can meet so many consumer needs at a respectable price.

Today's plastic sheets are here to meet consumer needs for health, safety and performance with value.  Take a milk bottle. Once stored in glass bottles, a container of milk was heavy, and shattered into a million pieces if it was dropped.  The plastic milk bottle allows the drinker to easly lift the bottle, and feel assured that if they drop it, it won't be too much a a calamity.

The properties of plastics/plastic sheeting are defined by the organic chemistry of the polymer such as the density, hardness, resitance to heat, organic solvents, oxidation and ionizing radiation. Due to plastic's insolubility in water and relative chemical inertness, pure plastic has a low toxicty.  Keep in mind that the additives that can be added to plastic could be toxic. An example of an additive is the plasticizers that when added to  brittle plastics like polyvinyl choloride, it makes it pliable enough for use in food packaging. It's the effects of such leachates that concern the public regarding food consumption.

To illustrate the types of common plastic and their uses, here is a list taken from Wikipedia.

  • Polyester (PES) – Fibers, textiles.
  • Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) – Carbonated drinks bottles, peanut butter jars, plastic film, microwavable packaging.
  • Polyethylene (PE) – Wide range of inexpensive uses including supermarket bags, plastic bottles.
  • High-density polyethylene (HDPE) – Detergent bottles, milk jugs, and molded plastic cases.
  • Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) – Plumbing pipes and guttering, shower curtains, window frames, flooring.
  • Polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC) (Saran) – Food packaging.
  • Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) – Outdoor furniture, siding, floor tiles, shower curtains, clamshell packaging.
  • Polypropylene (PP) – Bottle caps, drinking straws, yogurt containers, appliances, car fenders (bumpers), plastic pressure pipe systems.
  • Polystyrene (PS) – Packaging foam/"peanuts", food containers, plastic tableware, disposable cups, plates, cutlery, CD and cassette boxes.
  • High impact polystyrene (HIPS) -: Refrigerator liners, food packaging, vending cups.
  • Polyamides (PA) (Nylons) – Fibers, toothbrush bristles, tubing, fishing line, low strength machine parts: under-the-hood car engine parts or gun frames.
  • Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) – Electronic equipment cases (e.g., computer monitors, printers, keyboards), drainage pipe.
  • Polyethylene/Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (PE/ABS) – A slippery blend of PE and ABS used in low-duty dry bearings.
  • Polycarbonate (PC) – Compact discs, eyeglasses, riot shields, security windows, traffic lights, lenses.
  • Polycarbonate/Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (PC/ABS) – A blend of PC and ABS that creates a stronger plastic. Used in car interior and exterior parts, and mobile phone bodies.
  • Polyurethanes (PU) – Cushioning foams, thermal insulation foams, surface coatings, printing rollers (Currently 6th or 7th most commonly used plastic material, for instance the most commonly used plastic in cars).

More Specialized plastics are listed below, thanks to Wikipedia.

  • Melamine formaldehyde (MF) – One of the aminoplasts, and used as a multi-colorable alternative to phenolics, for instance in moldings (e.g., break-resistance alternatives to ceramic cups, plates and bowls for children) and the decorated top surface layer of the paper laminates (e.g., Formica).
  • Plastarch material – Biodegradable and heat resistant, thermoplastic composed of modified corn starch.
  • Phenolics (PF) or (phenol formaldehydes) – High modulus, relatively heat resistant, and excellent fire resistant polymer. Used for insulating parts in electrical fixtures, paper laminated products (e.g., Formica), thermally insulation foams. It is a thermosetting plastic, with the familiar trade name Bakelite, that can be molded by heat and pressure when mixed with a filler-like wood flour or can be cast in its unfilled liquid form or cast as foam (e.g., Oasis). Problems include the probability of moldings naturally being dark colors (red, green, brown), and as thermoset it is difficult to recycle.
  • Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) – Strong, chemical- and heat-resistant thermoplastic, biocompatibility allows for use in medical implant applications, aerospace moldings. One of the most expensive commercial polymers.
  • Polyetherimide (PEI) (Ultem) – A high temperature, chemically stable polymer that does not crystallize.
  • Polylactic acid (PLA) – A biodegradable, thermoplastic found converted into a variety of aliphatic polyesters derived from lactic acid which in turn can be made by fermentation of various agricultural products such as corn starch, once made from dairy products.
  • Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) – Contact lenses (of the original "hard" variety), glazing (best known in this form by its various trade names around the world; e.g., Perspex, Oroglas, Plexiglas), aglets, fluorescent light diffusers, rear light covers for vehicles. It forms the basis of artistic and commercial acrylic paints when suspended in water with the use of other agents.
  • Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) – Heat-resistant, low-friction coatings, used in things like non-stick surfaces for frying pans, plumber's tape and water slides. It is more commonly known as Teflon.
  • Urea-formaldehyde (UF) – One of the aminoplasts and used as a multi-colorable alternative to phenolics. Used as a wood adhesive (for plywood, chipboard, hardboard) and electrical switch housings.

So thanks to it's name "Plastic" which comes from the Greek meaning "capable of being shaped or molded", plastic has played an integral part in life as we know it today.

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Tags: plastic sheeting, Plastic sheet

Plastic Sheeting that has bubbles that's not bubble wrap?

Posted by Nana Hinsley on Thu, Apr 11, 2013 @ 01:25

Plastic sheeting and greenhouse plastic applications are forever changing and morphing!  Take greenhouse films for example!  The latest greatest way to cover your greenhouse is with Polydress Solawrap.  Polydress Solawrap is changing the way growers are covering their greenhouses. This polyethylene plastic sheeting is filled with thousands of little air-filled bubbles. This design has proven itself in Europe for the last thirty years!  Solawraps air bubble design has led to reported tomato crop advancement in the Mediterranean of three weeks, in wintertime, in an unheated greenhouse compared to standard greenhouse coverings. This unique bubble filled plastic sheeting was tested in the unforeboding heat of Kuwait for 25 years.  In those 25 years this amazing plastic sheeting now named Solawrap withstood the elements and did not become brittle or streak. 

If you are wondering what adding air bubbles can do to sheets of plastic, understand that Solawrap comprises 3 layers of polyethylene film that encloses those air bubbles.  This is what gives Solawrap the remarkable R-value of 1.7.  This same air bubble filled plastic sheeting allows for 83% transparency of sunlight while diffusing 83% of the light. With increased amount of light diffusion plants grow healthier and faster. Normally in the summer many thousands of dollars are spent on shade cloth, however, in Europe, due to the high diffusion rates, only 10% of SolaWrap greenhouses utilizes shade cloths.

Polydress Solawrap

If you would like to learn more about Polydress Solawrap- the air bubble filled plastic sheeting miracle, click here.  You may also ask for samples from our contact us page. 

 Click to call from cell phone- 760 597 9298 for plastic sheeting/ greenhouse plastic ,Fire Retardant black plastic sheeting,  Most plastic sheeting! QUICK QUESTION? Home page www.globalplasticsheeting.com plastic sheeting, tapes, strapping fire retardant films greenhouse plastic visit SolaWrapfilms.com  the greenhouse plastic film with the 10 yr uv guarantee

 

Get a free SolaWrap Greenhouse Plastic Sample packet Call 760 597 9298

 
 

Tags: plastic sheeting, Solawrap, Polydress Solawrap, greenhouse covering

Polyethylene Film- Polyethylene Sheeting- What is it?

Posted by Nana Hinsley on Fri, Jun 15, 2012 @ 02:40

Polyethylene sheeting has many names. It goes by the names visqueen, poly sheeting, plastic sheeting, plastic film, polyethylene sheet, and poly film to name a few.  Polyethylene sheeting is a plastic film made from petroleum. That is why the price of the product can vary depending on what oil prices are doing. It is sold in rolls where in additives can be added to change the functionality of the film.  Additive such as U.V. inhibitors, fire retardants, anti-static  additives are added so each variation can best serve it's intended use. Additionally plastic sheeting comes is a wide range of thicknesses. The thicker the virgin film, the stronger it is. The film gets "thicker" as the numbers of "mils" increase. A 10 mil film is thicker than a 3 mil film and so on.

polyethylene- poly film

Polyethylene sheeting (film) has a big role in offering plastic protection. It is used in construction as vapor retarders, window films, flooring and counter top protection, and even in roofing. Polyethylene sheet can be used to seal off rooms, cover building materials, and be used in lead abatement projects.  There are so many variation of the film, each one engineered for its project. The key is to educate yourself of the options so you get the most useful film to make your job easier.  For example, why use a drop cloth on carpeting when you can use self adhesive plastic that sticks to the carpeting. If you knock over the paint can, the carpet won't get ruined. A drop cloth can easily be moved and not protect where you thought is was.

Even though polyethylene sheeting takes a hit from environmentalists for its slow rate of decomposition, HDPE plastic sheeting is there to protect he ground water from toxic chemicals from oil drilling or from landfills.  It is used to slow run-off on hills, and keep lead out of the ocean during shipbuilding projects.  Polyethylene sheeting is such a versatile product used in all aspects of life.

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Tags: polyethylene sheet, poly film, plastic sheeting, polyethylene sheeting

Plastic Sheeting for Hospital Remodels

Posted by Lee Hinsley on Tue, May 10, 2011 @ 02:32

Plastic sheeting plays a large role in hospitals. Some people refer to it as "Hospital Rated Visqueen".  What they are referring to are the large number of uses for the types of products supplied by Global Plastic Sheeting.  Some of the products and applications include:

-Fire Retardant Plastic Sheeting: The most popular of our fire retardant sheeting for hospital applications is ASFR-6.  This 6 mil Anti-Static Fire Retardant Plastic will not give off a static electricity discharge like normal plastics, so is safe around sensitive instruments.  Also does not attract dust, and hospitals love that feature.  We also stock everything from Construction Grade FR Poly, to Reinforced FR Polyethylene.

-Tacky Door Mats (anti-microbial) for the entrances to operating rooms, and for helping contain contaminants in construction/maintenance operations

-Heat Shrink Wrap: This 9 and 12 mil Fire Retardant product is used to wrap and contain any areas needing to be sealed off for any reason

-ZipWall poles: used to create a containment, these pole and jack systems are easily set up to create a containment of any size

zipwall hospital setupweb resized 600

 

DeckProtek is popular in Health Care applications- 10, 14, and 30 mil versions provide a high level of Fire Retardant floor or wall protection.  While most of this is used during periods of construction or renovations, we have also provided it to cover the floors in emergency rooms, rooms where patients have radioactive treatments, where all surfaces must be covered, and many other applications

-Carpet Plastic FR: Self-Adhesive Fire Retardant covering for protecting carpeting, quickly, easily, and cost effectively

-Fire Retardant Tapes: 225FR Duct type sealing and seaming tape, 268 Black FR tape, and others to meet the FR needs of the health care industry

-Poly Srcim, various thicknesses and colors have been popular in health care.  They all meet stringent FR standards, and are available in a variety of colors, which is sometimes requested.

-Fluted Plastic Sheets: These 4’ x 8’ FR sheets are used to erect many containments in hospitals, make temporary hallways, temporary walls, tough floor protection, cover walls to protect from workmen damage, make devices for entry into the ceiling tiles for pulling cables, etc.

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Tags: Hospital Plastic, Products for Hospitals, anti-microbial, Zip Wall, 30 mil, 10-14 mil, 2 FR, Heavy Plastic, plastic sheeting, heat shrink wrap