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Views: 0 Author: Eva Publish Time: 2025-07-02 Origin: GUANGDONG YINGHUI NEW MATERIAL TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) belongs to polyester materials and has a rigid structure. Its Shore hardness ranges from 80 to 90A, with tensile strength of ≥ 20 MPa, capable of withstanding a temperature range of -50°C to 125°C. Its biaxial stretching process results in extremely high surface flatness (roughness Ra ≤ 0.5 μm), making it suitable for high-precision printing, such as QR code printing on electronic labels. The transmittance of PET exceeds 85%, and when combined with white ink for screen printing, it can achieve a "invisible label" effect. It is widely used in high-end cosmetic packaging.
PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) is adjusted for flexibility through plasticizers. The elongation of soft PVC can reach 200%, and the minimum bending radius is 2 mm, suitable for adhering to curved surfaces (such as cosmetic tubes). Its weather resistance is excellent, with a color difference ΔE ≤ 3 after 500 hours of QUV aging at 140°C. However, its thermal stability is poor, and it will release hydrogen chloride gas above 140°C. The surface friction coefficient of PVC is relatively high (0.3 - 0.5), making it suitable for bathroom product labels that require anti-slip properties.
The PET has significantly better tolerance to organic solvents (such as ethanol and acetone) than PVC.PET has significantly better tolerance to organic solvents (such as ethanol and acetone) than PVC. After being wiped with 95% ethanol 500 times, the ink density loss is ≤ 15%. Although PVC is resistant to acids and alkalis (pH 2-12), the risk of plasticizer migration is relatively high. The EU REACH regulation has restricted its lead content (≤ 0.1%), so it is not recommended for use in food packaging.
The recycling system for PET is mature, and the global production capacity of recycled PET (rPET) has reached 5 million tons per year. The carbon footprint of bio-based PET (such as Coca-Cola's PlantBottle®) certified by ISCC Plus has been reduced by 30%. PVC contains chlorine elements and releases harmful substances such as dioxins during incineration. The European Union has included it in the "Restriction of Single-Use Plastic Products Regulation" (SUP), and will ban non-essential PVC packaging starting from 2025. Currently, degradable PVC masterbatch (such as Luoyang Green Hui PVC3000) has achieved commercialization. Adding 10%-20% can lead to a decomposition rate of over 90% in 180 days under composting conditions.
PET: Thickness tolerance ±0.005mm, tensile strength longitudinal ≥ 15MPa, transverse ≥ 12MPa, breakage rate during die-cutting < 0.5%.
PVC: Elongation test needs to reach 200%, adhesive does not become brittle after being frozen at -20℃ for 24 hours.
PET: Passed UL94 V-0 flame retardant certification, with a temperature resistance of 80℃ (engine compartment label), 500 hours of QUV aging with color fastness ≥ 6 grades.
PVC: Chemical resistance test needs to be conducted without swelling after being soaked in pH 2-12 solution for 24 hours, and UV absorber (such as Tinuvin 328) needs to be added for outdoor use.
PET: Acrylic adhesive initial adhesion force ≥ 1.5N/25mm, peel force on stainless steel plate 1.2-2.0N/25mm, suitable for smooth surfaces.
PVC: Rubber-based adhesive has stronger adhesion to rough surfaces (peel force ≥ 3.0N/25mm), but the residual adhesive rate needs to be controlled < 5%.
PET: For export to the EU, Ecolabel certification is required; for food contact, FDA 21 CFR 177.1630 certification is needed; for medical scenarios, ISO 10993 biocompatibility test is required.
PVC: For products exported to the EU, REACH SVHC list (233 items) needs to be met; PVC with recycled materials needs to be certified by VinylCycle label.
PET: The unit price is approximately 0.3 - 1.8 yuan per sheet, which is twice that of coated paper, but it has an outdoor service life of over 5 years. The overall cost is 45% lower than that of paper labels.
PVC: The unit price is 0.1 - 1.0 yuan per sheet, which is 60% - 70% of that of PET. However, it needs to be replaced after 3 years of outdoor use, and the total cost exceeds that of PET.
PET: A logistics company that uses weather-resistant PET labels maintains a readability of 98% after 12 months, and the maintenance cost is reduced by 60%.
PVC: PVC labels containing lead stabilizers face the risk of being phased out due to EU regulations. The cost for compliance transformation increases by 15% - 20%.
PET: The recycling value of a single-material structure (PET + acrylic glue) increases by 30% after sorting. Chemical recycling technology (such as the catalytic method at East China Normal University) can be converted into gasoline, with a ton resource value of + 1200 yuan.
PVC: Mixed recycling requires separation of plasticizers, and the performance of recycled materials decreases by 20%. Biobased PVC (such as BioPVC®) has a landfill decomposition rate of > 90%, but the cost is 40% higher.
PET:
Electronic field: The IMEI label of Apple iPhone uses matte silver PET, which is scratch-resistant and can be laser engraved.
Food packaging: The label of Coca-Cola bottles uses transparent PET, with a light transmittance of > 85%, achieving a "label-free" visual effect.
Medical industry: 3M 648 alcohol-resistant wiping label has passed ISO 10993 certification and is used for drug bottle identification.
PVC:
Cosmetics products: The bottle label of P&G Pantene shampoo uses soft PVC, which adheres to the curved surface and is resistant to shampoo corrosion.
Automotive interior: The seat labels of BMW use PVC that is resistant to -40℃, without cracking for 5 years.
Industrial identification: Equipment nameplates use hard PVC, which is resistant to oil stains and can be screen-printed with solvent-resistant inks.
PET:
Intelligent integration: PET labels embedded with NFC chips (such as NXP NTAG 216) can store up to 888 bytes of data, used for anti-counterfeiting traceability.
Biobased substitution: DuPont Sorona® biobased PET is made from corn sugar fermentation, reducing the carbon footprint by 40%.
PVC:
Degradable solution: The PVC3000 motherbatch from Luoyang Green Horizon adds 15% to enable PVC to decompose in compost in 180 days, already used in agricultural film production.
Chemical recycling: The solvent-based method developed by the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany can increase the purity of PVC to 99.9%, and the recycled material is used for high-end pipes.
PET: By 2030, the market share of biobased PET is expected to reach 15%, and nano-coating technology (such as graphene modification) will extend the UV resistance time from 500 hours to 2000 hours.
PVC: EU regulations force PVC to transition to lead-free, with the usage rate of calcium-zinc stabilizers exceeding 80% in 2025. Meanwhile, the penetration rate of degradable PVC in the packaging field will exceed 10%.
Environmental Dimension: For outdoor high-temperature conditions, select PET (with a resistance to 125°C); for humid environments, select PVC (with a water absorption rate < 0.1%).
Surface Dimension: For smooth metals, select PET (with acrylic glue); for rough wood, select PVC (with rubber-based glue).
Functional Dimension: For long-term identification, select PET (with a retention of adhesion ≥ 24 hours); for temporary promotions, select PVC (with removable glue).
Cost Dimension: For short-term projects, select PVC (with a unit price 40% lower); for long-term projects, select PET (with a total cost 45% lower).
Compliance Dimension: For exports to the EU, select PET (with Ecolabel certification); for food contact, avoid PVC (with REACH restrictions).
PET: Preferentially choose manufacturers that have passed FSC certification (such as UPM Raflatac), and require them to provide ASTM D3359 ink adhesion reports.
PVC: Need to verify the lead content (ICP-MS detection ≤ 0.1%); PVC containing recycled materials need to provide VinylCycle certification.
Batch Consistency: Each batch of PET/PVC must provide test reports for color difference ΔE ≤ 1.5 and thickness tolerance ±0.005mm.
Inventory Management: The storage humidity of PET should be ≤ 60%, and PVC should avoid contact with organic solvents (to prevent plasticizer migration).
PET: Tesla's battery labels use 3M 468MP PET, with no detachment in -40°C to 85°C environments for 5 years.
PVC: IKEA's furniture labels use PVC containing UV absorbers, with a color retention rate > 95% after 500 hours of QUV aging.
PET: Nestle's coffee capsules use 100% rPET, reducing carbon footprint by 30%, and passing RedCert 2 certification.
PVC: The Norwegian Lofotpils brewery uses degradable PVC labels, reducing CO₂ emissions by 0.8 tons per ton.
International Standards: ISO 18987 (Label Recycling Design), ASTM D6866 (Biobased Content Testing).
Industry Norms: China's "Plastic Packaging Sustainability Evaluation" (GB/T 41208-2021) requires PVC labels to have a recyclability of ≥ 60%.
The selection of PET and PVC self-adhesive labels requires balancing performance, cost, and environmental protection:
Scenarios where PET is preferred: high-temperature environments, food contact, exports to the EU, and long-term durability requirements.
Scenarios where PVC is preferred: curved label application, temporary use, low-cost budget, and chemical corrosion resistance requirements.
Enterprises should establish a material database and formulate dynamic selection strategies for different application scenarios. For example, fast-moving consumer goods packaging can adopt a PET/PVC composite structure (PET surface layer + PVC base layer), balancing aesthetics and cost; for high-end electronic devices, a full PET solution is required to ensure compliance. With the maturity of bio-based materials and chemical recycling technologies, both PET and PVC will evolve towards low-carbon in the future. Enterprises need to make early technological reserves to adapt to industry changes.
