Aluminum Tube vs Plastic Tube | Primepac

Material Choice of Plastic Tube

The quality of the material is the key to ensuring the quality of the tube, it will directly affect the processing and use of the tube

Plastic tube materials are polyethylene PE (for tube body, tube head), polypropylene PP (tube cover), color masterbatch, barrier resin, printing ink, varnish, etc.

So the selection of any material will directly affect the quality of the tube.

However, the choice of materials also depends on the health requirements, barrier (the conditions of oxygen and water vapor resistance, fragrance preservation, etc.), chemical resistance, and other factors.

•  Material sanitation

First of all, the materials used should meet the relevant health standards, heavy metals, fluorescent agents, and other harmful substances should be controlled within the prescribed limits.

For example, the tubes exported to the United States have to meet the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) standard 21CFR117.1520 which has a limitation on the polyethylene(PE) and polypropylene(PP)

• Barrier properties of materials

If the contents are particularly sensitive to oxygen (such as some whitening cosmetics) or fragrance is very easy to volatilize (such as essential oils or acids, salts, and other corrosive chemicals) of the product. Under such circumstances, manufacturers would be better to select a five-layer co-extruded tube

Because five-layer co-extruded tube’s (polyethylene/binder resin / EVOH / binder resin/polyethylene) oxygen transmission rate is 0.2 ~ 1.2 units, while the ordinary polyethylene single-layer tube oxygen transmission rate is 150 ~ 300 units.

In addition, EVOH is an ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer, has an excellent barrier, and fragrance retention (thickness in 15 ~ 20 microns effect is a perfect choice)

Double-layer tube: the use of high-density HDPE and LDPE low-density PE material, in a certain proportion with the pumping method, to achieve a uniform mixing effect by high-speed rotation

In this way, the tube can achieve a balance of softness and hardness.

Compared to the single-layer tube, the tube body is thicker, with a better corrosion resistance barrier, and lower oxygen transmission rate, adopted by the majority of daily cosmetics manufacturers.

• The stiffness of the material

Cosmetic companies have different requirements for the stiffness of the tube, so how to get the desired stiffness?

The polyethylene commonly used in the tube is mainly low-density polyethylene, high-density polyethylene, and linear low-density polyethylene.

The stiffness of high-density polyethylene is better than that of low-density polyethylene, so the desired stiffness can be achieved by adjusting the ratio of high-density polyethylene/low-density polyethylene.

• Chemical resistance of the material

High-density polyethylene has better chemical resistance than low-density polyethylene.

• Weather resistance of the material.

To control the short-term or long-term performance of the tube, you need to consider: Appearance, pressure/drop resistance, sealing strength, environmental stress cracking resistance (ESCR value), fragrance, and active ingredient loss.

The Characteristics of Various Types of Tube

1、All-aluminum tube

Stamped from 4~5mm thick aluminum plate.

Packaging performance: good stability (physical, chemical, microbiological aspects), with a certain strength, heat, and cold resistance, lightweight, shading, easy to clean, easy to sterilize.

Advantages

•  Rust-resistance

aluminum is the most commonly used metal, aluminum materials do not rust, and its oxides are non-toxic with good shading, excellent moisture and gas barrier, and good processing performance. It would not rebound. Without thermal conductivity, it can provide good ductility, airtightness, and full protection of drugs.

• Tightness

Excellent gas tightness of all-aluminum tube. Because the dense aluminum and the aluminum tube is made by single material punching and extrusion, there is no possibility of leakage of different materials ;

• Recyclable

all-aluminum tube scrap can be recycled and smelted again to use.

Disadvantages.

Production efficiency is low, the cost is high. It’s easy to break when we use it,

the strength is very poor, extrusion feel is also bad;

Corrosive contents like flooring containing cream will lead to the corrosion of All aluminum tubes.

Causing penetration holes and breakage, and aluminum ions will also enter the contents

2、PE tube

This kind of product is Extruded from a single layer of PE.

soft to the touch, easy to recycle, but with low water and oxygen barrier performance.

Advantages

• Convenient and durable

PE tube is easy to use, economical and convenient to pack, and easy to carry, even under high-intensity circumferential extrusion, it can still recover its original shape and maintain a good appearance.

• Eco-friendly

When it comes to environmental protection and energy saving, PE tubes are able to use less material, which is easy for recycling and degrades.

Disadvantages

Low production efficiency, The results of silkscreen printing on the surface of tubes are not long enough, which is easy to burst.

Aluminum barrier laminated tube(ABL Tube)

Made of PE inner film PE outer film and 10um aluminum foil.

Packaging performance: good isolation performance, not easy to break, fine printing, bright colors, clean and hygienic, easy to use, soft touch, good wrinkle resistance.

Advantages

Compared with an all-aluminum tube, an Aluminum barrier laminated tube has many advantages.

•  Lightweight

20%-30% lighter than the same specification all-aluminum tube, the amount of aluminum used per unit of product is reduced by 80%, making the packaging considerably lightweight.

• Simple process

Simple process, suitable for high-speed, continuous production, less energy consumption, low cost, and high production efficiency.

• Safety

because plastic is the inner wall material, This kinds of tube have better corrosion resistance and health safety.

• Oxidation resistance

aluminum-plastic tube not only maintains the barrier and oxidation resistance of all-aluminum tube but also has the characteristics of the plastic tube such as anti-acid, anti-discoloration, anti-hardening, and anti-oil-water separation.

Disadvantages

Pool control of the PE layer can lead to the deterioration of products
And it’s not easy to separate and recycle after disposal.

Plastic Barrier Laminated Tube

PBL is a composite material that forms the body of laminate tubes. Laminated in plastic, it consists primarily of six PE layers and two bonding ones with an EVOH layer between them for strength; making up all parts necessary to create this unique product!

Advantages

The plastic barrier laminated tube is an excellent product for many different purposes.

• The barrier for vapor and oxygen

It has a great barrier property to water vapor and oxygen, making it perfect for keeping things fresh. It also has an excellent aroma barrier, meaning it will keep your products smelling great.

• Flexibility

The high flexibility of the material means that it won’t crack even during repeated deformation, making it extremely reliable.

• Wide Application

The tubes are made of polymer films which are just as reliable as tubes made of laminates based on aluminum. This makes them perfect for a wide range of applications.

Comparison Among 4 Types of Tube

Customization – printing effect

ABL / PBL can offer you more choices for printing

PBL can also have a metallic effect, which makes the packaging brighter
All aluminum tubes and PE tubes always use Silk Screen Printing, even using the same printing process as ABL and PBL, you can’t get the same appearance for the different materials and production processes.

So if you have high demand in packaging surface printing, we would recommend you to choose ABL or PBL

Price

PE/ABL/PBL are similar to each other.

All aluminum tube is expensive than others.

Appearance

All aluminum and PE extruded tube bodies have no joint seam

PBL and ABL will have a joint seam

The minimum order quantity for reference

Custom PE/ABL/PBL tube 5000-10000

Pure aluminum tube 30,000

Production lead time

Custom PE/ABL/PBL tubes are shorter than All aluminum tubes

Application

all aluminum tubes: Mainly used in the pharmaceutical ointment, cream, and gel packaging.

PE tube: Mainly used in facial cleansers, hand cream

ABL tube: It is mainly used in the packaging of toothpaste, ointment, cosmetics, detergents, chemicals, pigments, etc., among which toothpaste packaging has the largest consumption.

PBL Tube:  the perfect solution for all your cosmetic, personal care products, and pharmaceutical needs.

You can also find them in use by food producers to package their products.

Why Choose Primeapc

At PrimePac, we bring together design experts and brand innovators to create fresh ideas, customized packages, and fully efficient processes.

We design creative packaging solutions that cater to a diverse global audience with the in-house knowledge and network of experienced professionals to meet the demands of every type of client.

From our dedicated sales team and warehouse staff in Australia to the experts at our production facilities in China, all of our employees are guided by four core values at the heart of our business: integrity, innovation, passion, and engagement.

Conclusion

Thank you for reading our blog post on the material of cosmetic plastic tubes.

We hope that this article has been informative and helpful.

If you have any questions or would like to learn more about the different types of tubes we offer, please don’t hesitate to contact us today.

We would be happy to discuss your specific needs and provide you with a quote for our products. Thanks again for your interest in our company!