Material	PET (polyethylene terephthalate)
	PET has good barrier properties against oxygen and carbon dioxide. Therefore, it is utilized in bottles for mineral water. Other applications include food trays for oven use, roasting bags, audio/video tapes as well as mechanical components. PET exists both as an amorphous (transparent) and as a semi-crystalline (opaque and white) thermoplastic material. Generally, it has good resistance to mineral oils, solvents and acids but not to bases. The semi-crystalline PET has good strength, ductility, stiffness and hardness. The amorphous PET has better ductility but less stiffness and hardness.
Danish Name	PET - thermoplastic polyester
Category	Plastics, Thermoplastics
Products	Bottle for mineral water Trays for oven use Oven foils Audio and video tapes Thermo scarf (fleece)
Processes	Plastic moulding Plastic injection moulding Extrusion Blow moulding Vacuum forming Fibre spinning
Similar materials	PA (technical applications) PBT (technical applications) PVC (packaging material) PE (packaging material) PS (packaging material)
Price	High cost plastic (see also Plastics general overview)
Environmen- tal notes	Creation: Production of 1 kg of PET requires the equivalent of about 2 kg of oil (raw material and energy). Use: It is very inflammable and inflammability can be reduced by the use of additives. Disposal: Incineration in an incineration plant mainly produces water and carbon dioxide. Heating value is equivalent to 1/2 kg of oil. PET can be recycled into fibres that are used for polyester fabrics.
Photo	Thomas Nissen (Computer graphics)
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