What's the difference between PET and VMPET?

The main differences between PET and VMPET are as follows:

Definition and Composition

• PET: Polyethylene terephthalate. It is a fiber-forming polymer obtained through the transesterification of dimethyl terephthalate and ethylene glycol or the direct esterification of terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol, followed by a polycondensation reaction. It is a common thermoplastic polyester with good comprehensive properties and is widely used in fields such as packaging, fibers, and engineering plastics.
• VMPET: It is a composite material made by subjecting a PET film to a vacuum aluminizing treatment (Vacuum Metallized PET). That is, under a high-vacuum condition, high-purity aluminum wire is heated and evaporated, and then evenly deposited on the surface of the PET film to form a very thin layer of metallic aluminum.

Appearance and Characteristics

• PET: Usually, it is a colorless, transparent or semi-transparent film with a smooth and flat surface and a certain degree of gloss. It has good transparency, gloss, fold resistance, tensile strength, and chemical stability, as well as relatively good barrier properties. However, its barrier ability to oxygen and water vapor is limited.
• VMPET: Due to the aluminum layer on its surface, it presents a shiny metallic luster. It has excellent light-shielding properties and can effectively block ultraviolet and visible light, preventing the contents from deteriorating or fading due to light exposure. At the same time, the aluminized layer greatly improves the film's barrier properties, significantly enhancing its ability to block oxygen, water vapor, and odors.

Application Fields

PET:

• Packaging Field: Commonly used for the packaging of foods, beverages, pharmaceuticals, etc., such as various plastic bottles, packaging boxes, and packaging films.
• Fiber Field: It can be made into polyester fibers and used in the textile industry to produce products such as clothing and home textiles.
• Electronics Field: Used as an insulating material for manufacturing electronic components such as capacitors and printed circuit boards.

VMPET:

• Food Packaging: Widely applied to the packaging of various foods, such as potato chips, nuts, candies, tea, etc., which can effectively extend the shelf life of foods and maintain their flavor and quality.
• Drug Packaging: For some drugs that are sensitive to light, oxygen, and water vapor, VMPET films can provide good protection to ensure the stability and effectiveness of the drugs.
• Daily Chemical Product Packaging: Such as the packaging of cosmetics, perfumes, detergents, etc. It can not only protect the products but also enhance the appearance grade of the products.

Price

• PET: The production process is relatively simple, and the raw material cost is relatively stable. Therefore, its price is relatively affordable in the market.
• VMPET: Because the vacuum aluminizing process is added, the production process is more complex, and the cost also increases. So, its price is usually higher than that of ordinary PET.