What is a Mil?
Mil is a measurement of thickness usually used in the plastic industry. A mil is equivalent to one-thousandth of an inch (.001). To measure mil thickness, you’ll need to use a micrometer or a thickness gauge.
All of the plastic products at Elements Supply are classified by their mil thickness. To choose the right thickness for you, give us a call to get professional advice on what thickness is needed to store your products. If you are still not sure, we can send you free samples to you to try before buying.
Choosing the Right Mil Thickness
How thick of a mil needed is dependent on the application. If your product is heavy or has sharp corners, we highly advise you to choose a heavier gauge (higher mil thickness). On the contrary, you wouldn't need a 6 mil bag to package fruits or vegetables. Keep in mind that the clarity of a bag is affected by the thickness. A 6 mil bag would not be as clear as a 1 mil bag.
Here is our thickness guide:
- 1 Mil - Economical short-term storage.
- 1.25 Mil - Economical protection with light duty application
- 1.5 Mil - Economical poly bags suitable for packaging food products, paper items, and other light, non-fragile items.
- 2 Mil - Most popular thickness used for light to medium products such as clothing, parts, and food.
- 3 Mil - Additional protection for hardware, nuts, bolts, and industrial parts.
- 4 Mil - Heavy-duty protection when packaging nails, screws & heavy metal parts.
- 6 Mil - Extra heavy-duty protection against punctures and tears on bulky items or items with sharp corners.
