Adding carbon black (CB) particles to elastomeric polymers is essential to the successful industrial use of rubber in many applications, and the mechanical reinforcing effect of CB in rubber has been studied for nearly 100 years. Despite these many decades of investigations, the origin of stiffness enhancement of elastomers from incorporating nanometer-scale CB particles is still debated. It is not universally accepted whether the interactions between polymer chains and CB surfaces are purely physical adsorption or whether some polymer–particle chemical bonds are also introduced in the process of mixing and curing the CB-filled rubber compounds. We review key experimental observations of rubber reinforced with CB, including the finding that heat treatment of CB can greatly reduce the filler reinforcement effect in rubber. The details of the particle morphology and surface chemistry are described to give insights into the nature of the CB–elastomer interfaces. This is followed by a discussion of rubber processing effects, the influence of CB on crosslinking, and various chemical modification approaches that have been employed to improve polymer–filler interactions and reinforcement. Finally, we contrast various models that have been proposed for rationalizing the CB reinforcement of elastomers. 

Natural rubber composite has been continuously developed due to its advantages such as a good combination of strength and damping property. Most of carbon black (CB)/Natural Rubber (NR) composite were used as material in tyre industry. The addition of CB in natural rubber is very important to enhance the strength of natural rubber. The particle loading and different structure of CB can affect the composite strength. The effects of CB particle loading of 20, 25 and 30 wt% and the effects of CB structures of N220, N330, N550 and N660 series on tensile property of composite were investigated. The result shows that the tensile strength and elastic modulus of natural rubber/CB composite was higher than pure natural rubber. From SEM observation the agglomeration of CB aggregate increases with particle loading. It leads to decrease of tensile strength of composite as more particle was added. High structure of CB particle i.e. N220 resulted in highest tensile stress. In fact, composite reinforced by N660 CB particle shown a comparable tensile strength and elastic modulus with N220 CB particle. SEM observation shows that agglomeration of CB aggregates of N330 and N550 results in lower stress of associate NR/CB composite.

Carbon black is a highly engineered form of carbon widely used in paints as paint carbon black, coatings and inks to achieve a spectrum ranging from gray to deep black. Over the time, the properties of carbon black pigment have been modified to achieve required properties in the final product, such as increased tinting strength, improved the level of jetness or blue undertone and conductivity.

Explore the different carbon black production processes and the properties to consider while selecting the right carbon black for your formulations.

Properties and End-uses of Carbon Black
Carbon black is used in many products and articles we use and see around us on a daily basis, such as: rubbers, plastics, coatings, tires, ink carbon clack.

Thus, the requirements for the carbon black are different for each application and influence the specific properties in the final application.

For the coating carbon blacks market, there is a wide range of carbon black grades available. This can make it difficult to choose the most suitable carbon black for your final application. For example, when aiming for automotive paint with a blue undertone, the carbon black of choice will have a high jetness. However, normally these types of carbon black grades are the most difficult to disperse correctly into the desired particle size.

The carbon black producers are addressing these issues by developing specialty carbon black grades that have been surface-modified and/or are pre-treated to overcome these difficulties.

How Carbon Black is Produced?
The properties of the carbon black are influenced by the method of preparation. The different processes used for channel carbon black production are discussed below.

Furnace Black Process: It is the most common method which uses (aromatic) hydrocarbon oil as the raw material. Due to its high yield and possibility to control the particle size and structure, it is most suitable for mass production of carbon black.

In the reactor the conditions (e.g. pressure and temperature) are controlled to provide a number of reactions. The most important reactions include: particle nucleation, particle growth, aggregate formation. Water injection rapidly reduces the temperature and ends the reaction. The primary particle size and structure of the carbon black is controlled by tuning the conditions in the reactor and the time allowed before the reaction is quenched.

Thermal Black Process: It is the most common method used for carbon black production after the furnace black process. It is a discontinuous or cyclical process.

This process uses natural methane gas as raw material. When the natural gas is injected into the furnace at an inert atmosphere, the gas decomposes into carbon black and hydrogen. The carbon black produced using this method has the largest particle size and the lowest degree of aggregates or structure. Due to the nature of the raw material, this carbon black is the purest form available on the industrial scale.

Channel Process: This process uses partially combusted fuel which is brought into contact with H-shaped channel steel. It is not the most used method anymore because of its:

The benefit of this process is that it provides carbon black with a lot of functional groups.

Acetylene Black Process: This process uses acetylene gas as raw material. It produces mainly high structure and higher crystallinity, making this type of carbon black suitable for electric conductive applications.

Lampblack Process: It is the oldest industrial process for making carbon black. It uses mineral/vegetable oils as its raw material.

Recovered Carbon Black from End-of-life Tires

Recovered carbon black or ®CB is a fast-expanding market. Recovered high purity carbon black is obtained through the pyrolysis process of end-of-life tires. The importance of companies in the production and use of recovered carbon black is three-fold:

The growing global problems arising with end-of-life tires (ELT)
Companies shifting strategy to fulfill the targets ensuring a green economy
Price changes of regular carbon black due to fluctuations in oil pricing

Depending on the composition, the content of carbon black in tires can be up to 30%. Next to carbon black, the tires consists:

Rubber
Rubber processing additives
Metal
Textile
Fillers such as silica

The amount of silica depends on the type of tire, for example winter or summer tire, racing tire, or tire for agricultural vehicles, and will not be separated from the carbon black during the pyrolysis process, which will result in higher ash content.

In a typical car tire, up to 15 different types of conductive carbon blacks can be used, each attributing to the different properties required. This blend of environmental carbon blacks will then also be the make-up of the final ®CB composition. Besides tires, other sources that can be used are rubber conveyor belts or other technical rubber products.

The main differences in the properties of recovered carbon black are:

The ash content is higher for ®CB caused by the fillers being used in tire production.
A blend of rubber carbon black properties as a result of the carbon black used in the tire.
Residual hydrocarbons on the carbon black surface, depending on the quality of the pyrolysis process.

To understand how the properties of ®CB influence the final applications and to know which plastic carbon black is used in which category, we need to understand the fundamental differences between the available carbon blacks.

With longer, warmer days approaching, the sounds of summer are finally here: the drone of lawn mowers, the thwack of leather on willow and the incessant screams of young children demanding ice cream. To be fair though, there are plenty of adults who can’t pass a gelato shop, park cafe or ice cream van without succumbing to temptation either. There is just something so satisfying and refreshing about an ice cream on a hot day, to stay with a refrigerator, or you can call it refrigerator-freezer.

Ice cream has been around a long time. Some sources mention ice cream-like foods originating in Persia in about 550BC. Some even believe that the Roman Emperor Nero had snow collected from the mountains and mixed with honey and wine to make sorbet. These days we have hundreds of different types of ice cream, from the usual ice cream van favourites to gourmet gelatos and experimental savoury flavours.

On the face of it, the main ingredients of ice cream as we know it are really simple using a cooler: milk, cream and sugar. But just mixing these with some flavouring and putting it in the ice cream freezer is not going to give you a good result. The secret to great ice cream lies in how the mixture is mixed, how quickly it’s frozen and some key extra ingredients that change things like viscosity and freezing point – all important for the right texture and taste.

Emulsifiers
Brent Murray, professor of food colloids at the University of Leeds, believes understanding ice cream chemistry begins with realising that it’s an emulsion and a foam mixed together. ‘Your basic ice cream mix is just milk, cream, sugar and flavourings, which gets homogenised to form an emulsion of fat droplets in water, which wouldn’t ordinarily mix,’ he says. ‘There are natural emulsifiers present in the form of milk proteins, which surround the globules of fat and aid this process.

‘Some artisan ice creams leave it there, but most commercial recipes need to add extra emulsifier, like glycerol monostearate [GMS],’ Brent continues. ‘The confusing thing is that the role of this extra emulsifier isn’t to stabilise the emulsion even further, but rather to destabilise it a bit.’

Emulsifiers like GMS replace some of the milk protein molecules that surround each fat globule. ‘These small molecules, with lower molecular weight, will always outcompete the larger milk protein molecules, partially displacing them, and this can make the droplets slightly less stable. They stick together a bit more and that, in turn, helps the mixture to stabilise and retain air bubbles of small enough size,’ says Brent.

Air bubbles
As the mixture is stirred and frozen in the ice cream machine, it is also whipped to aerate it. Most ice creams have a significant amount of air trapped in them – up to 125% of the volume of the ingredients in some supermarket ‘value’ products, though less in gourmet-style gelatos.

‘To get the right creaminess and stability, the air bubbles in ice cream need to be about 20 µm in size, and as uniform as possible,’ continues Brent. ‘An air bubble that size in water would dissolve quickly – perhaps in a couple of minutes – because air is quite soluble in water. A combination of natural foaming agents (proteins again), the aggregated fat droplets, plus freezing as fast as possible to increase viscosity, helps to trap the bubbles at that small size.’You can use one type of freezer- Curverd Glass Type Ice Cream Chest Freezer.

Ice crystals
As well as air bubble size, another factor that affects the creaminess of ice cream is the amount of fat included in the first place, says Ruben Proto, founder of Manchester-based Rogue Artisan Ice Cream, who is famous for his scientific approach to gelato. ‘The amount of fat in the mixture masks the presence of any large ice crystals, so the end product is perceived as smooth and creamy in the mouth,’ he says.

While ice crystals are always present in ice cream, keeping them small (just as with air bubbles) is really important for a creamy result. ‘That’s really down to two things,’ Ruben continues, ‘the viscosity of the mixture and the rate of freezing. The more viscous the mixture, the creamier it is. You can control the viscosity either by upping the total amount of solids in the mix, like fat and sugar, or by using a stabiliser – I tend to use alginate.’

The rate of freezing has a big effect on the finished ice cream because it affects how large the ice crystals can grow. Large crystals can cause the end product to taste watery or icy, with a coarse, rough texture. The secret to great ice cream is to keep the crystals small. ‘There are two types of freezing,’ explains Ruben, ‘dynamic freezing, where the mixture is moved around at about -6˚C, usually in the ice-cream mixer, and static freezing, which is much colder and doesn’t involve any stirring. Ice crystals will grow in the dynamic freezing stage, but not during static freezing. So, you want to get your ice cream out of the machine as quickly as you can and into a cold chest or blast ice cream freezer at about -18˚C.’

‘If your freezer takes eight hours to get the mixture down to -18˚C then you are going to have more ice crystals in it than if you achieve that in two or four hours,’ Ruben says.

The walls of an ice-cream maker are pretty cold, about -32˚C with a fridge, but the mixture is moving all the time, so it never reaches this temperature. Of course, colder substances, which you’d usually find in the lab and not the kitchen, have also been tried, such as liquid nitrogen. ‘That’s terrific theatre!’ says Ruben. ‘And it creates an incredibly creamy product. With liquid nitrogen you only need one or two minutes in the ice machine before you can transfer to the deep freeze. The rate of crystal nucleation – the birth of ice crystals – is much faster, so there are more of them, but they are much smaller.’

What’s the alternative?
Experimental chefs like Heston Blumenthal were among the first to try approaches like liquid nitrogen freezing, alongside novel combinations of flavours. Who can forget Heston’s famous bacon and egg ice cream, which was on the menu at his restaurant The Fat Duck for years.

‘The secret with that kind of thing is to pick two flavours that have the same kind of flavour molecules in them, even if they don’t immediately sound compatible,’ says Ruben. ‘I had great success with chocolate and blue cheese ice cream and I’ve even experimented with roasted cricket.’

Earlier this year I published a three-part article series titled “What to do with all this plastic?” (Part One, Part Two, and Part Three), which looked at the global problem with plastics accumulating in different areas around the world and innovative concepts communities have adopted to help deal with the abundance of plastic products and manage the growing problem.

Some looked at the creative reuse of plastic water bottles by communities in Uganda, the Philippines, and right here in Macomb County, Michigan. Plant pots, salt shakers, lighting fixtures, irrigation, and even walls for a greenhouse were concepts communities came up with. While the articles highlighted some steps international and local communities are taking to curb the plastic problem it also provided steps to help eliminate it from every day use. One of those steps is to simply carry your own reusable bottle, which we are seeing more and more of these days. In fact, traditional public water fountains are becoming equipped to refill personal water bottles as well.

But between steel, plastic and glass, which is the best? The truth of the matter is that there are pros and cons to owning each.

Stainless steel bottles have a number of pros and cons. Typically, they last longer than glass or plastic because they are corrosion resistant, and do not leach chemicals when exposed to sun/heat. They are generally more expensive than plastic, as the cost to produce them is much higher due to being energy intensive. However, stainless steel is 100 percent recyclable. The best option for selecting stainless steel water bottles is food grade #304 or 18/8, which means there are 18 percent chromium and 8 percent nickel. Additional information on stainless steel water bottles can be found online.
Glass is another option when choosing water bottles. Most of us know that just about every beverage tastes better out of a glass bottle or cup, but the downside is that they are breakable and less likely to last a long time compared to plastic or stainless steel. In addition, recycling rate is low and some public places do not allow glass too. However, in addition to tasting great glass does not leach when left in the sun/heat, but the cost of a glass water bottle is generally much higher than our other two options.
Plastic seems to be the most popular reusable water bottle, although glass and stainless are gaining in popularity for the reasons listed here. Plastic water bottles, or water mugs are cheaper to produce than stainless steel and glass, which makes them very attractive for consumers. However, the recycling rate of some plastic water mugs is low and the life cycles are short too. Plastic water bottles often end up in landfills and can take nearly 700 years before they start to decompose. One of the biggest downsides to plastic water bottles is that they leach, whereas glass and stainless steel do not. Consumers with apprehensions over plastics leaching chemicals may want to review the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for more information, such as the use of Bisphenol A (BPA)-a chemical component often found in polycarbonate plastic. Some manufacturers of reusable water bottles do produce products free of this chemical and typically note that on labels or the item itself. In addition, plastics made with BPA will often have a resin code of 7 appearing on the item. 
Additional information on plastics and problems associated with it can be found on Dr. Lee’s website devoted to health and sustainability related challenges.

Whatever reusable water bottle you decide to select in the end will be of overall benefit to you and our environment too. Reusing a water bottle will help keep plastics out of landfills, reduce your urge to purchase beverages in plastic bottles, and in the long-run save you money.

How are you ensuring safe drinking water when away from home and your preferred water treatment system? When it comes to drinking water, Ontario residents often invest in water systems and coolers to ensure a fresh supply of clean drinking water in the home. However, some fill plastic bottles with filtered drinking water and then reuse those bottles over and over. Unfortunately, this practice could be unsanitary. In addition, there are many concerns about the safety of BPA found in some plastic water bottles. While you could buy a BPA-free plastic water bottle, steel water bottles are a better choice. Below are just a few of the many benefits of stainless steel water bottles.

Stainless Steel Water Mugs are Eco-Friendly
Stainless steel is made out of natural elements to start with, and they can be easily recycled into new products when the time comes. Though plastic bottles are often made from recycled materials and can be recycled themselves, both creating and recycling plastic is less friendly to the environment than stainless steel production and recycling.

Stainless Steel Water Bottles are Much More Durable than Plastic
If you’ve ever used a plastic water bottle, you know how flimsy they can be. Some plastic water bottles are meant for one-time use and crush easily. Others are made to be used multiple times. However, those can melt when washed in the dishwasher. Even if you run over a stainless steel water bottle with your truck, it will survive.

Stainless steel bottles can be used under virtually any condition. Because of their versatility and durability, stainless steel water bottles are the bottles of choice for many athletes and adventurers, also are some glass water mugs.

Stainless Steel Water Bottles are Safe
The plastics in recyclable plastic water bottles are thought to be a health risk. Harmful chemicals are emitted from these bottles, and these chemicals might cause cancer. By switching to stainless steel, you can prevent harmful carcinogens from leaching into your drinking water.

Stainless Steel Water Bottles Keep Your Drinking Water Cold or Hot
Why drink lukewarm drinking water from a plastic water bottle when you could use a stainless steel water bottle that insulates the contents for hours? The insulating properties of stainless steel water bottles mean that you can enjoy cool drinking water up to 24 hours after filling the bottle from your water cooler. Hot water stays warm for nearly six hours in a stainless steel bottle.

You Can Wash Stainless Steel Water Bottles in the Dishwasher
Maintain sanitation by regularly washing your stainless steel water bottle in the dishwasher. Stainless steel is completely dishwasher safe, unlike plastic water bottles which could melt or lose their shape. Regular washing eliminates germs that accumulate after usage.

Environmentally friendly, durable, safe, and easy-to-clean, stainless steel water bottles are an excellent alternative to using plastic water bottles. The steel will not rust, and many desirable features are available such as special caps, cool colours, carrying straps, spouts, handles, clips, and unique shapes. You can even get a customised bottle if you’d like.

Don’t make the same mistake that many people who have invested in water systems in Ontario have made. Use stainless steel water bottles when venturing away from home.

A large part of enjoying wine lies in savoring its aroma. The wine glass has to gather the wine’s aroma so you can savor it when you drink.

If you use a regular mug and fill it to the brim, all the characteristic vapors of the wine will be gone by the time you start to sip.

But, there’s more to it than just enjoying the wine’s aroma.

First, let’s step back to see how the modern wine glass came to be.

A Brief History of the Wine Glass
The earliest form of wine glasses are believed to be the silver and pottery goblets used by the Romans in the third century.

The wine glass that you know today, with the base, stem, and bowl, originated in the 1400s in Venice, Italy, where some of the best glass makers were centered.

But it was Claus Riedel in the 20th century, who was the first to acknowledge the correlation between the wine’s taste and the wine glass shape. He launched the first series of glasses designed to suit a wine’s character.

Since then, the wine glass has evolved to suit the different shapes and styles to suit the character of different types of wine, and Riedel continues to be a leading glassware brand.

Wine Glasses: Anatomy and Materials Used
How does a wine glass shape influence the drinking experience?

The wine glass shape is not only meant to collect the wine’s aroma but also influences how much wine flows into your mouth. It determines whether the wine moves across the tongue or spreads to the side.

This can actually make the same wine taste quite different indeed!

Parts of a wine glass

The wine glass can be a machine-blown or handmade glass and has these four parts, from bottom to top:

1. Foot
This is the flat base section of the glass that will hold the glass upright on your dining table. A small foot can make the champagne glass imbalanced, and the glass will easily topple on your dining tables. Too large a foot might get stuck under your platters and flatware or tableware.

2. Stem
The stem is the thin, neck section where you usually hold the wine glass or stemware. Holding it there prevents you from heating the wine with your fingers. It also keeps you from smudging the bowl with your fingerprints.

3. Bowl
The bowl is where you’ll see the most variation in wine glasses. The opening will usually be smaller than the shoulder (widest part of the bowl). This shape captures the aroma of the wine.

The bowl’s width determines the surface area of the wine. Some wines should be allowed to “breathe” more than others — this is typical of aged reds with intense, complex aromas.

4. Rim
The thinness of the rim can affect how you perceive the wine’s taste. A glass with a thin rim is much better than a thick rim glass, as it’ll let the wine flow smoothly into your mouth.

Wine glass materials
Wine glasses can be made of many different materials. While glass and crystal are the most common, alternate materials like acrylic and silicone are also used.

1. Soda-lime glass
Most glasses are of the soda-lime variety. It’s the same type of glass you’ll find on your window panes or food jars.

When used for wine glasses, it has the advantage of being more affordable than crystal. It’s inert and nonporous, meaning it won’t absorb chemical aromas, so it’s always dishwasher safe. That said, soda-lime wine glasses will tend to be thicker than crystal stemware and are more durable.

2. Crystal
Crystal wine glasses contain 2-30% of added minerals, which is its primary difference from regular whiskey glasses. Those minerals could be lead, magnesium, or zinc, allowing the crystal to be spun much thinner than glass but still retain structural strength.

Crystal glassware also refracts light better, making your wine look sparkly in the glass.

However, the addition of minerals to the crystal makes it porous and not always dishwasher safe.

You also have the option of leaded vs. lead-free crystal stemware:

Historically, all crystal glasses had lead added, and many still do. Leaded crystal wine glasses are safe, as your wine won’t stay long enough in the glass for the lead to leach into it.

But some glass manufacturers have moved to lead-free crystal because of the potential health concerns (like storing liquor in a leaded decanter for a longer period).

Lead-free crystal glasses typically have magnesium or zinc additions and are usually dishwasher safe.

Manufacturers like Schott Zwiesel have gone a step further, patenting a crystal called Tritan®, which has infused titanium and zirconium. This makes a highly break-resistant lead-free glass.

3. Alternative materials
Other materials commonly used for lower-end wine drinking glasses would be acrylics, metals like stainless steel and silicone.

Wine glass decoration

Most high-end wine glasses won’t have designs on the bowl, as you don’t want to distract the view of the wine. You may come across a few exceptions like the Mikasa Cheer White Wine Glasses that have designs on the bowl.

However, you’ll often find finely decorated stems on some of the wine glasses.

In the 18th century, glassmakers would draw spiral patterns on the stem. You’ll find these even now on antique and vintage glassware.

What is a “Standard Pour” of Wine?

Usually, in restaurants, a tumbler glass would be around 5oz (~150ml). This portions a 750ml bottle of wine into five servings.

For wine tastings, the standard is around 2oz, which is enough to experience the wine’s aroma and flavor without being affected by the alcohol too fast.

Dessert wine servings are around 2oz, too, as these wines are much sweeter and have more alcohol than other wines.

1. Red Wine Glass

Red wine glass has a round, wide bowl, like balloon glasses. The shape increases the exposed surface area of the wine, allowing more oxygen to interact with the liquid. Brief exposure to oxygen helps smoothen the complex flavors and tannins in red wine.

There are three types of red wine glasses:

A. Bordeaux glass
This tall glass with wine decanter is meant for bold, full bodied red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, or Bordeaux Blends.

The glass is tall, but the bowl isn’t quite as large. The bowl’s height creates more space between the wine and nose, allowing room for ethanol vapors to escape, letting you get more of the wine’s aroma and less alcohol vapors.

Some Bordeaux wine glasses to consider:
Zalto Denk Art Bordeaux Glass with glass charger plate
Schott Zwiesel Tritan Pure Bordeaux Glass

B. Standard (Medium-bodied) wine glass
This is an excellent choice for medium- to full-bodied red wine, like Syrah or Malbec. The smaller opening will soften the spicy expression of some of these wines as it hits your tongue, but it keeps the aroma in the shot glass.

C. Burgundy (Bourgogne) glass
The Burgundy glass is designed for light, delicate red wine like Montrachet. The broad bowl creates space for aromas to collect, and a shorter lip directs the wine to the tip of the tongue so that you can taste more of its subtle flavors. The Pinot Noir glass is an example of the Burgundy glass. Also, there is bear glass.

What is PVC (PolyVinyl Chloride)?

Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC or Vinyl) is an economical and versatile thermoplastic polymer widely used in building and construction industry to produce door and window profiles, pipes (drinking and wastewater), wire and cable insulation, medical devices, etc. It is the world’s third largest thermoplastic material by volume after polyethylene and polypropylene.

It is a white, brittle solid material available in powder form or granules. Due to its versatile properties, such as lightweight, durable, low cost and easy processability, PVC sheet is now replacing traditional building materials like wood, metal, concrete, rubber, ceramics, etc. in several applications.

Basic Forms of PVC(including PVC rod)
Polyvinyl Chloride is widely available in two broad categories: Flexible and Rigid. But, there are more types like CPVC, PVC-O and PVC-M.

Plasticized or Flexible PVC (Density: 1.1-1.35 g/cm3): Flexible PVC is formed by the addition of compatible plasticizers to PVC which lower the crystallinity. These plasticizers act like lubricants resulting in a much clearer and flexible plastic. This type of PVC is sometimes called as PVC-P.

Unplasticized or Rigid PVC (Density: 1.3-1.45 g/cm3): It is a stiff and cost-effective plastic with high resistance to impact, water, weather, chemicals and corrosive environments. This type of PVC is also known as UPVC, PVC-U or uPVC.

Chlorinated Polyvinyl Chloride or perchlorovinyl: It is prepared by chlorination of PVC resin. High chlorine content imparts high durability, chemical stability and flame retardancy. CPVC can withstand a wider range of temperatures.

Molecular Oriented PVC or PVC-O: It is formed by reorganizing the amorphous structure of PVC-U into a layered structured. Bi-axially oriented PVC has enhanced physical characteristics (stiffness, fatigue resistance, lightweight, etc.).

Modified PVC or PVC-M: It is an alloy of PVC formed by addition of modifying agents, resulting in enhanced toughness and impact properties.

Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) is one of the most widely used polymers in the world. Due to its versatile nature, PVC, or other plastic rod, is used extensively across a broad range of industrial, technical and everyday applications including widespread use in building, transport, packaging, electrical/electronic and healthcare applications.

PVC, including soft PVC sheet roll, is a very durable and long lasting material which can be used in a variety of applications, either rigid or flexible, white or black and a wide range of colours in between.

The essential raw materials for PVC are derived from salt and oil. The electrolysis of salt water produces chlorine, which is combined with ethylene (obtained from oil) to form vinyl chloride monomer (VCM). Molecules of VCM are polymerised to form PVC resin, to which appropriate additives are incorporated to make a customised PVC compound .

The PVC production process consists of 5 steps:

The extraction of salt and hydrocarbon resources
The production of ethylene and chlorine from these resources
The combination of chlorine and ethylene to make the vinyl chloride monomer (VCM)
The polymerisation of VCM to make poly-vinyl-chloride (PVC)
The blending of PVC polymer with other materials to produce different formulations providing a wide range of physical properties.

PVC sheet, PE sheet and PP sheet have excellent corrosion resistance and weather resistance. The working temp is 33 deg F to 160 deg F. and the forming temperatures of 245 deg F. It is good electrical and thermal insulator and has a self-extinguishing per UL Test 94. PVC applications are almost unlimited. It's the most widely used member of the vinyl family. It is excellent when used for corrosion-resistant tanks, ducts, fume hoods, and pipe. Ideal for self-supporting tanks, fabricated parts, tank linings, and spacers. It is not UV stabilized and has a tolerance of +or 10%. Not FDA approved materials. Colors available: Gray PVC Type 1 Sheet, White PVC, Clear PVC.

If your car is equipped with disc brakes, brake calipers are critical to slowing and stopping your car. Here's what you need to know.
The brake caliper plays a central role in a disc-brake system and has two functions. First, it acts either as a bracket to support the brake pads on either side of the rotor or to support the caliper bracket itself — there are other designs, but these are the two most common. Second, it uses pistons to convert pressure exerted on the brake fluid by the master cylinder into friction on the rotor.

In simple terms, a brake caliper’s purpose is to squeeze the brake pads against the rotor to stop the car. There are two main types of calipers, a single piston and a dual piston. Most front calipers are dual piston but many cars use single piston calipers on the rear, where less braking force is needed.

Stepping on the brake pedal forces the master cylinder piston forward, compressing the brake fluid. The brake fluid forces the brake caliper pistons toward the rotors, pinching the rotors in between the brake pads, which creates friction and slows the vehicle.

When Brake Calipers Go Bad
In general, brake pads and rotors wear out and need replacement far more often than calipers. A leading cause for damaged calipers, however, stems from driving a vehicle on worn-out pads or warped rotors. Both prevent the system from dissipating the heat of friction, as they’re designed to do, which can damage the calipers.

If the pads fail to insulate the caliper from excessive heat, the piston can be damaged or the heat can be passed through the piston to the brake fluid, which can cause it to degrade. The latter can result in brake failure.

A damaged piston, or one that is simply corroded, may get stuck in one position. If it sticks in the retracted position, that wheel will lose braking ability. If it sticks in the engaged position, the wheel will brake continuously until freed.

How to Tell That a Caliper Has Failed
With a retracted piston, the car may pull toward the side of the car with operating brakes when they are engaged. You may also notice that braking distance increases. Conversely, an engaged piston will cause the car to pull toward the engaged brake when driving. (Note: A stuck caliper can cause pulling, but there are many other possible causes as well.) Excess heat will be present, and the brake pad will quickly wear down. Any of these symptoms indicate immediate need for service.

Another sign of caliper failure could include leaking brake fluid, as a damaged piston may no longer seal completely. If enough fluid escapes from the system, the warning light on the dashboard will call your attention to it. If you check your pad wear regularly, you may note uneven wear on the pads, comparing one side of the rotor to the other, or even left wheel to right wheel. If the pads show uneven wear, check the caliper function. And yet another sign of a seized caliper is excessive brake dust on one wheel compared to the other.

In the rarest form of failure, the caliper bracket could snap, causing a clunking sound when the brakes engage. If you hear this, stop immediately and do not operate the vehicle.

Ignoring any of these symptoms can magnify the damage. The cost and effort required to address the problem increases proportionally. Make an effort to examine the problem as soon as possible or have it evaluated by a qualified technician.

Important Maintenance Points
• As the brake pads wear, the caliper needs to stay centered on the rotor to allow for even pressure on both sides. There are different ways manufacturers accomplish this, and some designs are better than others at keeping the calipers sliding to compensate for pad wear. When brake service is done, always clean and grease the sliding mechanisms with a high-temp brake grease to preserve the full range of travel. If not properly lubricated, calipers can lock in one position, resulting in only one pad getting proper pressure on the rotor.

• Whenever possible, inspect the dust boots protecting the caliper piston and the two slide pins. These flexible covers prevent dirt and moisture from fouling the action of the associated parts. Any damage or tears found in the boots must be addressed quickly, before dirt and corrosion cause the parts to seize. It is possible to disassemble the caliper, clean the parts and replace the boots if you have some skill as a DIYer. Labor charges, however, make this impractical in most auto shop situations, so the most common resolution is full replacement of the caliper and bracket.

Regardless of the type of support, it is designed to have parts that withstand increased wear. The pads and discs we have not considered because they are considered consumables. As for the support, the return movement of the piston is provided by a rubber sleeve. When the driver depresses the brake pedal, the piston comes out of the body and deforms the brake sleeve kit, when the pedal is released, the cuff tends to present a starting position and drags the piston.

The brake system includes brake calipers, brake discs, brake pads(including brake pad fitting kits), steel pipes, brake fluid, etc. There are also brake rubber dust cover kits.

Wound Dressings
Wound, whether it is a minor cut or a major incision, it is important to care for it properly, part of this process includes wound dressing. Dressing is designed to be in contact with the wound, which is different from a bandage that holds the dressing in place. Historically, wet-to-dry dressings have been used extensively for wounds requiring debridement. In 1600 BC, Linen strips soaked in oil or grease covered with plasters was used to occlude wounds. Clay tablets were used for the treatment of wounds by Mesopotamian origin from about 2500 BCE. They cleaned wounds with water or milk prior to dressing with honey or resin. Wine or vinegar usage for cleaning the wounds with honey, oil and wine as further treatment was followed by Hippocrates of ancient Greece in 460- 370 BCE. They used wool boiled in water or wine as a bandage. There was a major breakthrough in the antiseptic technique during the 19th century, antibiotics were introduced to control infections and decrease mortality. Modern wound dressing arrival was in 20th century.

When the wound is closed with dressing, such as transparent film dressing, they are continuously exposed to proteinases, chemotactic, complement & growth factors, which is lost in the wound exposed. So during late 20th century, production of occlusive dressing began to protect and provide moist environment to wound. These dressings helps in faster re-epithelialization, collagen synthesis, promotes angiogenesis by creating hypoxia to the wound bed and decreases wound bed pH which leads to decrease in the wound infection. Woven absorbent cotton gauze was used in 1891. Until the mid 1900’s, it was firmly believed that wounds healed more quickly if kept dry and uncovered whereas ‘closed wounds heal more quickly than open wound’ written in an Egyptian medical text -Edwin smith surgical papyrus in 1615 BC. Oscar Gilje in 1948 describes moist chamber effect for healing ulcers. In the mid 1980’s, the first modern wound dressing were introduced which delivered important characteristics providing moisture and absorbing fluids (e.g. polyurethane foams, hydrocolloids, iodine-containing gels). During the mid 1990’s, synthetic wound dressings expanded into various group of products which includes hydrogels, hydrocolloids, alginates, synthetic foam dressing, silicone meshes, tissue adhesives, vapor-permeable adhesive films and silver/collagen containing dressing.

Traditional wound dressing
Traditional wound dressing products including gauze, lint, plasters, bandages (natural or synthetic) and cotton wool are dry and used as primary or secondary dressings for protecting the wound from contaminations. Gauze dressings made out of woven and non woven fibres of cotton, rayon, polyesters afford some sort of protection against bacterial infection. Some sterile gauze pads are used for absorbing exudates and fluid in an open wound with the help of fibres in these dressings. These dressings require frequent changing to protect from maceration of healthy tissues. Gauze dressings are less cost effective. Due to excessive wound drainage, dressings, including foam dressing, become moistened and tend to become adherent to the wound making it painful when removing. Bandages made out of natural cotton wool and cellulose or synthetic bandages made out of polyamide materials perform different functions. For instance, cotton bandages are used for retention of light dressings with non woven dressing, high compression bandages and short stretch compression bandages provide sustained compression in case of venous ulcers. Xeroform™ (non-occlusive dressing) is petrolatum gauze with 3% of Bismuth tribromophenate used for non-exudating to slight exudating wounds. Tulle dressings such as Bactigras, Jelonet, Paratulle are some examples of tulle dressings commercially available as impregnated dressings with paraffin and suitable for superficial clean wound. Generally traditional dressings are indicated for the clean and dry wounds with mild exudate levels or used as secondary dressings. Since traditional dressings fail to provide moist environment to the wound they have been replaced by modern dressings with more advanced formulations.

Modern and advanced wound dressing
Modern wound dressing have been developed to facilitate the function of the wound rather than just to cover it. These dressings are focused to keep the wound from dehydration and promote healing. Based on the cause and type of wound, numerous products are available in the market, making the selection a very difficult task. Modern wound dressings, transparent dressing with absorbent pad, are usually based on synthetic polymers and are classified as passive, interactive and bioactive products. Passive products are non-occlusive, such as gauze and tulle dressings, used to cover the wound to restore its function underneath. Interactive dressings are semi-occlusive or occlusive, available in the forms of films, foam, hydrogel and hydrocolloids. These dressings act as a barrier against penetration of bacteria to the wound environment.

What uses does rubbing alcohol have?

Rubbing alcohol is a common household chemical. It has several potential uses in personal care, as well as in general household cleaning.

However, the incorrect use of rubbing alcohol can cause serious side effects, including skin irritation and poisoning.

In this article, we list some common uses for rubbing alcohol. We also outline some situations in which a person should avoid using this chemical.

Common uses for rubbing alcohol, or alcohol pad, include:

1. Disinfecting tick bites
People can use tweezers to remove a tick carefully from the skin. Following its removal, they can use rubbing alcohol to disinfect the bite. They should apply rubbing alcohol to a cotton swab and dab it onto the area where the tick had attached itself.

2. Caring for pierced ears
According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), people can use rubbing alcohol to help clean the skin around new ear piercings. To do this, a person should dip a cotton ball or pad into the rubbing alcohol. They should then gently wipe it around the piercing on the front and back of the ear.

People should clean the piercing twice a day to help prevent bacterial infections and scabbing.

It is important to note that some experts disagree with this advice, recommending that people avoid using rubbing alcohol because it might slow the healing process.

3. Reducing body odor
Rubbing alcohol can help kill odor-causing bacteria, and it can be used in woundcare dressing, or hydrocolloid dressing. A person can apply rubbing alcohol under the armpits to help eliminate body odors.

However, they should avoid applying rubbing alcohol soon after shaving, as this will cause stinging.

4. Deodorizing shoes
Shoes can develop a strong odor, particularly if a person wears them while exercising or doing other physical activity. Spraying the insoles of the shoes with rubbing alcohol can help eliminate odor-causing bacteria.

A person should fill a spray bottle with rubbing alcohol and use this to spray the insides of the shoes. Leaving the shoes in the sun will help dry them out.

5. Creating homemade room deodorizer
It is possible to make a room deodorizer by pouring rubbing alcohol into a spray bottle and adding a few drops of an essential oil. A person can then spray the mixture around the room to help mask unpleasant odors.

6. Creating homemade ice packs
By mixing water and rubbing alcohol, a person can create a reusable and malleable homemade ice pack. They can follow these steps:

Fill a sealable freezer bag with 2 cups of water and 1 cup of 70% rubbing alcohol.
Push as much air out as possible, and seal the bag.
Place the filled bag inside another freezer bag, pushing out as much air as possible before sealing it.
Freeze for several hours.
Once the ice pack is ready, people can apply it to sore muscles or joints to relieve pain and inflammation.

7. Cleaning and disinfecting hard surfaces
Rubbing alcohol can help clean and disinfect hard surfaces. It is effective against most, but not all, pathogens.

The main ingredient in rubbing alcohol is isopropyl alcohol (IA). Most rubbing alcohols contain about 70% IA, but the amount can range from 60% to 99%, depending on the product.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)Trusted Source, alcohol solutions are most effective at concentrations of 60–90%. People should avoid using diluted solutions that have a concentration of 50% or below, as these will be less effective in killing pathogens.

8. Disinfecting sponges and cloths
Rubbing alcohol can also help disinfect household items, such as bathroom or kitchen sponges or cleaning cloths.

A person should pour some rubbing alcohol onto the sponge or cloth and let it soak for several minutes or hours inside a sealable container.

9. Cleaning and sanitizing electronic devices
Alcohol evaporates quickly and can kill pathogens on phones, laptops, tablets, and other devices. It is best to use a rubbing alcohol with 99% IA for electronics.

A person should apply a small amount of the rubbing alcohol to a paper towel or cloth and gently wipe it across the electronic device.

This chemical can also help remove water from an electronic device if a person accidentally drops it into water or spills some water on it. If the device was switched off at the time, removing water with the rubbing alcohol should recover it.

What are galvanized pipes?

Galvanized pipes are steel pipes that have been dipped in a protective zinc coating to prevent corrosion and rust. Galvanized steel pipe was commonly installed in homes built before 1960. When it was invented, galvanized pipe was an alternative to lead pipe for water supply lines. Today, however, we have learned that decades of exposure to water will cause galvanized pipes to corrode and rust on the inside.

What do galvanized pipes look like?

When first installed, galvanized pipes looks similar to a nickel in color. But as it ages, galvanized pipe may appear much duller, lighter, or darker, depending on its environment. We’ve also seen homes where the water pipes have been painted, so it can be difficult to tell at first glance.

How can I tell if I have galvanized pipes?

If you can’t tell by looking at your pipes, there is a quick test to tell if they are galvanized. Simply grab a flat head screwdriver and a strong magnet. Start by finding your water line and scratch the outside of the welded steel pipe with the screwdriver. Compare your results:

Copper

The scratched area will look like a copper penny.
A magnet will NOT stick to it.

Plastic
The scratched area will appear ivory or white in color.
A magnet will NOT stick to it

Galvanized steel
The scratched area will have a silver-gray color.
A strong magnet will stick to it.

Lead
The scratched area will have a dull silver-gray color, and the metal will usually be soft and easy to scratch. A magnet will NOT stick to it. Lead LSAW welded pipes are easy to bend and may be misshapen. If you have lead pipes, we recommend replacement if at all possible.

Be sure to scratch test your pipes in multiple areas. It is not uncommon to have more than one type of piping on your water line.

Do galvanized pipes contain lead?

The galvanized pipes installed on water lines between 1880 and 1960 were dipped in molten, naturally occurring zinc. Naturally occurring zinc is impure, so these pipes, such as boiler pipe, fluid pipe, coating steel pipe, were bathed in zinc that also contained lead and other impurities. The zinc coating elongated the life of the steel pipes, but added small amount of lead and other substances that could potentially harm inhabitants.

Additionally, if your galvanized pipes were ever connected to lead plumbing (including service lines) there is more cause for concern. The corrosion inside galvanized steel pipes could have trapped small pieces of the lead. Even if the lead piping was removed years ago, the galvanized steel pipes could still periodically release the trapped lead into the water flow. Chicago didn’t stop using lead pipes for service lines until 1986, and an estimated 400,000 lead service lines are still in use in Chicago alone.

The only way to ensure that lead is not mobilized from plumbing to tap in a given home is to fully replace the galvanized plumbing and any lead service lines.

What other problems can galvanized pipes cause?

Low Water Pressure
Due to the restriction of the line, corrosion in galvanized pipes can cause lower water pressure throughout your home.

Uneven Distribution of Water
If some of your taps have low water pressure, but others don’t, this could be a symptom of galvanized pipes. Corrosion can build up unevenly. Also, part of the galvanized steel piling pipe line could have been replaced in your home, but not everywhere.

Discoloration of Water
Galvanized SSAW welded pipes can release iron and cause discoloration. A clear indicator of this is a brown stain on a porcelain sink.

Leaks
Given enough time, galvanized pipes will rust through and cause more damage to your home.

Food additives are chemicals added to foods to keep them fresh or to enhance their colour, flavour or texture. They may include food colourings (such as tartrazine or cochineal), flavour enhancers (such as MSG) or a range of preservatives.

Safety tests for food additives
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) is responsible for the approval of which food additives are allowed in Australian foods. All food additives used in Australia undergo a safety assessment, which includes rigorous testing before they are approved.
Toxicological tests on animals are used to determine the amount of the additive that is expected to be safe when consumed by humans. This is usually an amount 100 times less than the maximum daily dose at which ‘no observable effects’ are produced by an additive consumed over the test animal’s lifetime.
If there is any doubt over the safety of an additive, approval is not given. If new scientific information becomes available suggesting that a food additive is no longer safe, the approval to use the food additive would be withdrawn.
Most food additives are tested in isolation, rather than in combination with other additives. The long-term effects of consuming a combination of different additives are currently unknown.
Plant Extracts: The Original Food Additives
Plant and herb extracts have long been used to enhance the healthfulness, color, and even taste and flavor of foods, beverages and supplements. With an often “natural” positioning, their popularity is assured.
Ginny Bank, Contributing Editor
October 2011/NutraSolutions -- In 399 BC, the Greek philosopher Socrates was executed by drinking an infusion of the poisonous hemlock plant. In ancient Egypt, Cleopatra used henbane extract to dilate her eyes and make her appear more alluring. Also in Egypt, red fabric found in the tomb of King Tut contained alizarin, a pigment extracted from the roots of the madder plant. While such historical accounts documenting human use of plant-based extracts can be traced back over 3,000 years, their use is possibly as old as civilization itself. From the very first Chinese dynasties, Mesopotamia and ancient Greece, and westward to the empires of Mesoamerica, early civilizations had a surprisingly sophisticated understanding of botanicals and their extracts, especially for use as medicine. Flowers, fruits, roots, bark and leaves of plant material were extracted by various techniques to concentrate not only their therapeutic properties, but also their pigments, aromas and flavors. The simplest method of extraction, used for plants that have high oil content, was the expression of the essential oils. Other techniques included steeping the plant part in water to make an infusion (also known as a tisane) or mashing them and boiling in water to make a decoction. This method was also used to make natural dyes, sometimes boiling the decoction for days to concentrate the pigments further. Elixirs were produced by extracting the plant parts in alcoholic beverages to dissolve the active components.
Today, the use of plant extracts to flavor, color and improve health are not that different from ancient times. Even the extraction methods are fundamentally the same. And, with hundreds, if not thousands, of years of traditional use behind many plant extracts, their safety (and often their efficacy) has been well-documented. Even so, when one takes into account the massive number of plant-based extracts used in traditional medicinal systems, such as Ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine, very few are approved for use in foods or have Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status. This may be changing, as self-affirmation of GRAS status for such ingredients is steadily increasing. Within the last 18 months alone, a number of extracts received GRAS status through self-affirmation, with or without FDA notification

Pharmaceutical manufacturing is a strictly regulated, process-driven industry. A mistake in manufacturing can be costly in the best-case scenario and at worst, it can be life-threatening, particularly if a product has reached consumers.
The industry must adhere to numerous guidelines that are laid out by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA), for example, the Current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP). Product quality is at the center of cGMP, which assures the correct monitoring, design, and control of manufacturing facilities and processes.
cGMP also supplies guidance for how to attain quality raw materials, in addition to the preferred management processes and systems for maintaining optimum laboratory testing procedures. All factors play a key part in the effectiveness and safety of pharmaceutical raw materials.
For manufacturers, adherence to cGMP is a necessity, and while quality and safety are top priorities in the pharmaceutical industry, these guidelines do introduce more challenges in the manufacturing process. 

Medical apparatus and instruments refer to instruments, instruments, implants, extracorporeal reagents or similar or related items used to diagnose, prevent or treat diseases or other medical conditions, and are not achieved by chemical effects (such as drugs) in the body or in the body Its purpose. The main goal of any medical device is to improve the patient’s daily quality of life or well-being during diagnosis, treatment, and/or medication. Over the last decade, the medical device industry is a fast-growing and demanding industry. Advances in design, materials, and technologies have increased the potential to develop improved solutions for all medical applications. These advances have managed to supply the clinicians with new products, tools, and procedures, supporting them in their work by making surgery, diagnosis, or treatment processes easier than ever before. These advances have also aimed to reduce both lead times and costs in the production of existing medical devices, reducing global healthcare costs. Due to this fact, medical devices are a hot topic among the industrial and academic domains regarding issues such as design, materials, prototypes, or manufacturing processes.

Fine and specialty chemicals are a not sharply defined chemical substances that are usually produced in small quantities and on special customer request. Fine chemicals are chemical substances that are obtained by means of complex syntheses and have a guaranteed degree of purity. Specialty chemicals is the broader term and generally includes chemical substances for special applications where the effect is what counts most. 


You can use disposable protective gloves to protect your hands from any kind of hazard. There are three main types of disposable safety gloves. There are latex gloves, which are manufactured from natural rubber. Nitrile gloves are produced from synthetic nitrile rubber. And vinyl gloves are made from synthetic plastic polymer. Whichever type of glove you decide to use, you should always ensure that it is suitable for your kind of industrial application. Disposable gloves are usually manufactured with a service grading. The service grade of a disposable glove indicates the type of industry that it should be used. This article looks at the various uses of disposable gloves according to industry.
 
Medical Usage
Disposable safety gloves are some of the most commonly used safety products in the healthcare industry. These gloves are worn to prevent cross-contamination between patients and medical staff. They are also used for general hand protection when handling various sensitive things in a medical setting. Disposable gloves that are used in the healthcare industry are referred to as medical gloves. Medical disposable gloves are tested and approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These gloves are worn by surgeons, doctors, laboratory technicians, nurses, caregivers, dentists and all other medical personnel. Blue disposable gloves are most popular for healthcare use, but you can also get medical safety gloves in various shades of pink, purple, and even grey. These gloves undergo several rounds of testing including leak and puncture testing, and visual defect examination. The FDA allows only premium grade medical safety gloves to be marketed.
 
Food Service Usage
There are special disposable gloves for use in the food service industry and restaurants. These gloves are also tested and approved by the FDA. Food service gloves are worn by chefs, waiters, and various hospitality personnel. Food service gloves are used to prevent cross-contaminating during food preparation and service. Like the medical disposable gloves discussed above, food service gloves undergo serious testing before they can hit the market. Food service gloves are usually white in color to Accenture the cleanliness or sterility of the hospitality industry.

Remember the feeling when you picked up your first iPhone? Taking off the plastic seal and feeling the sleek white box? By touching the box for the very first time you already felt the importance, quality & significance of this device. This is no coincidence! We meticulously strategized how they were going to package their product to align with their branding of providing top of the line product innovation & consumer experience! 
 
It is clear that packaging plays a large role in the perceived value of a product and as a whole, the packaging industry really hasn’t changed too much in the past years, compared to the constant innovations made in portable technology. With all the packaging and box choices available in today’s market, it often becomes difficult to select the most appropriate packaging solution for your product. Let’s take a look at some of the different types of packaging options you can use to enhance your product & customer experience!

1. Cardboard boxes
Paperboard is a paper-based material that is lightweight, yet strong. It can be easily cut and manipulated to create custom shapes and structures. These characteristics make it ideal to be used in personalized packaging. It is made by turning fibrous materials that come from wood or from recycled waste paper into pulp, and then bleaching it. Paperboard packaging comes in various grades, each suitable for different packaging requirements.

SBS (or solid bleached sulfate) paperboard can be used for packing cosmetics, medicines, milk and juice, cosmetics, frozen food and more. Choosing kraft, or CUK (coated unbleached kraft) paperboard packaging are for those who prefer the natural and environmentally-friendly look of recycled paper, which can be used for similar packaging applications. Kraft is often seen to be less resistant to moisture, making it less suitable for food-related products, or frozen-goods packaging. With the right combination of design options, paperboard packaging can look high-end, without high-end pricing.

2. Corrugated boxes
Corrugated boxes simply refer to what is commonly known as: Cardboard. Corrugated boxes are the ones many probably consider as ‘cardboard’ as it produces the large shipping, shoe & storage boxes.  What a lot of people do not realize is that corrugated boxes also come in different types depending on the durability and strength of the box. Identifying a certain corrugated material, however, is easy. How do you determine the material? Through its corrugated medium (also known as fluting).  Identifying a corrugated material is easy. It consists of 3 layers of paper, an outside liner, an inside liner and a corrugated medium (also known as fluting). The corrugated medium that gives it strength and rigidity.

3. PVC boxes
Plastic is used in a wide range of products, from spaceships to paper clips. A number of traditional materials, such as wood, leather, glass, ceramic, and so on, have already been replaced by plastic. PVC box packaging has many advantages in which they can be recycled, and generally they are much more durable than paperboard boxes. Airtight plastic packaging containers can help to preserve the quality of food and eliminate any contamination issues. Plastic packaging also does not break easily and can be stored with food under extreme conditions.
Another reason why plastic is a popular choice for packing material is because of its ability to showcase the product at any angle without necessarily opening the packaging. It is also flexible, lightweight and can be applied with films or coating to enhance packaging appearance.
Contrary to popular belief, plastic is in fact recyclable, in the sense that it takes less energy to produce new plastic, compared to glass, and other materials. Best of all, it is very cost effective!
 
4. Paper tube packaging 
Paper tube packaging is becoming popular globally. It provides a unique packaging alternative. Paper tube packaging is lightweight that makes it easier to transport. They also provide good protection to the packaged product from damage and contamination. It is also eco-friendly and thus contributes to conserving the environment. Paper tube packaging is being widely used in different industries like cosmetics, food products, etc. 
The packaging industry has seen a move towards sustainable packaging. Product packaging that is not eco-friendly creates unnecessary junk that ends up either in landfills or into ocean beds. Such packaging is harmful to the environment. Customers are becoming more aware of the dangers of non-degradable packaging and are preferring products using eco-friendly packaging.
Paper tube packaging is 100% eco-friendly. It is biodegradable and does not leave behind harmful packaging waste. Paper tube packaging can be easily recycled which saves a lot of energy and resources that would have gone into preparing fresh packaging. Using paper tube packaging helps you to position your brand and product as eco-friendly. This will provide you a competitive edge in the market and attract more customers into buying your product.

5. Paper bags
Paper bags have been part of trade and commerce for more than centuries. Traditionally cloth and jute bags were used to pack goods in larger quantities during its transfer from manufacturer or farms to retailers and shopkeepers then used the paper bags to distribute smaller quantity goods to end customers. In fact, paper bags are still used by small food retailers like – sweetshop owners, street food vendors, bakers and by small vegetable sellers.
On the other hand, a waterproof paper gift bag’s structural firmness and surface feature made it ideal to print high-quality images, logo, designs better as compared to a plastic bag, and that made paper bags a hit for fashion, luxury and premium gift packaging industry.
This trend has gained popularity owing to the people and businesses becoming more aware of the ecological surroundings. Also, several individuals want to use paper bags because they are easy to carry, clean and can hold items for a good duration of time.