Vacuum-forming

[blucor basher]

Since there's already one vacuum-forming thread here, I hope no one will mind another. Here goes:

What types of materials actually work for thermo-vacuum-forming?

We know than styrene sheet works very well.
We know that depron/thin EPS is problematic but doable

What about Polypropylene sheet? If it works, wouldn't that have some possibilities for tough, light molded components?

Anybody ever tried thin EPP sheets?

HDPE?

Anything interesting I've overlooked?

[Mighty Mik]

Aren't 2 and 3 liter soda bottles PETE? I think they've been turn into canopies before.

[blucor basher]

PETE? I thought they were HDPE? What's the functional difference? Can you vacuum-form something which shrinks that much?

[Mighty Mik]

The one i looked at is labeled PETE /1\ <- recycle symbol. In fact i just looked at another, and it's the same. As to what the difference is...i don't know.

I know people have reused it...mayb some else will chime in.

PETE? I thought they were HDPE? What's the functional difference? Can you vacuum-form something which shrinks that much?

[davidfee]

Plastic soda bottles are PETE (polyethylene terephthalic ester). Milk jugs are HDPE (high density polyethylene). PETE is much "stiffer" and "harder" than HDPE.