Plastic Sheeting mil thickness in millimeters and inches

How does mil thickness compare to mm (millimeter) and inches? What does mil stand for in measurement?

Plastic sheeting is measured in mils.  A mil is a measurement that equals one-thousandth of an inch, or 0.001 inch. One mil also equals 0.0254 mm (millimeter). Thus a mil is not the same thickness as a millimeter. The term "mil" is not an abbreviation but a unit of measure.The chart below gives you an idea of mils to millimeters to inches. An every day trash bag ranges between 1.2 mils and 1.7 mils. A much stronger trash bag that offers better tear resistance is between 3 mils and 6 mils. A credit card is around 30 mils thick while a common deck of playing cards including the box is approximately .75 inches thick or 750 mils.

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How do you measure plastic sheeting in mils to know how thick it actually is? 

A digital micrometer can assess the thickness of various types of plastic sheeting. What gets interesting is if the plastic sheeting has string reinforcement known as scrim/ skrim or string. If the plastic is measured over the scrim, them it will be thicker than if it is measured where there isn't any scrim. The scrim gives the plastic much more strength when it comes to tear and puncture resistance.

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