Plastic materials each have individual properties and processing characteristics. Selection of a specific plastic material is
based upon an analysis of the properties and cost of the material to ensure the material is suitable for the packaging
application. Also, multiple layers of different plastic materials can be combined to take advantage of the properties of
different plastic materials. This is a common practice when producing multilayer materials suitable for barrier applications.
Selected properties of common barrier materials are shown in the table below.
The type of material used for a particular packaging application is dependent upon many factors. Once a package material
has been selected, testing is required to verify suitability for the packaging application. Each of the following should be
considered when selecting a material suitable for a specific application: