The difference between plastic ice lattice and silicone ice lattice

The difference between plastic ice lattice and silicone ice lattice

 

Ice cubes have become an irreplaceable commodity among daily necessities. Ice cubes are indispensable for daily cold drinks, alcoholic beverages, and cooking ice. Currently, the most common materials used in the consumer market are silicone and plastic, and both of these ice cubes have unique characteristics, making it difficult for consumers to identify their differences. Therefore, in daily life, which of the plastic ice cubes is more practical than silicone ice cubes?

 

Material comparison:

 

Plastic ice lattice has low resistance to high and low temperatures, high thermal expansion rate, easy combustion, poor dimensional stability, and easy deformation. Most plastics have poor low temperature resistance, become brittle at low temperatures, and are prone to aging; Silicone ice cube is resistant to high and low temperatures, with a suitable temperature range of - 40 to 230 degrees Celsius, and has a long lifespan. It is made of food grade environmental friendly materials, which are non-toxic and harmless to the human body, do not fade, and is safer to use.

 

Silicone ice lattice has high resistance to high and low temperatures. It differs from plastic in that it has a lower coefficient of expansion, is not easy to burn, has less deformation, and has a good anti drop effect. It is not easy to age under high and low temperatures for a long time. Silicone material is stable, and will not deform in long-term use. It has a better life expectancy and is extremely flexible.

 

Functional and practical aspects

 

Plastic and silicone belong to two different types of adhesive tape materials, with some differences in hardness. The hardness of plastic is slightly higher than about 110 degrees, and there is a significant increase in hardness and embrittlement during cold storage. However, it is difficult to demould ice cubes after freezing, and demoulding is not easy. However, it is easier to operate when initially placing water for ice sealing. The silicone material is relatively soft, usually at 60 degrees, The soft gel filled with water is not very effective when put into the refrigerator, but the frozen and molded product can achieve good results in terms of handling effect. Therefore, functional properties vary, and silicone products are softer than plastic in terms of long-term practical life, fall resistance, and wear resistance.

 

Aesthetics

 

Plastic materials are basically pure colors, because certain pigments need to be added to the color, so the color of the material has basically been pure white and translucent effect, and there is basically no surface addition effect.

 

Silicone material is different from its color glue material, which is also a pure silicone environmental friendly material. In terms of color and appearance, it can only be made more patterned than plastic, with better aesthetics and comfortable feel. It has strong resilience and won't easily deform.

 

Cost aspects

 

The commonly used material for plastic ice cubes is PP thermoplastic material, and the product is semi transparent white. It belongs to a relatively environmentally safe category among various plastic materials, and does not produce any chemical reactions when contacted with skin. Therefore, it can be used for a long time. In terms of cost, its material is slightly higher in plastic, but compared to silica gel, its material is lower, but the mold cost is higher. Due to different processes, the mold steel materials are also different

 

Silicone ice lattice is a relatively expensive material among all rubber and plastic materials, but the relatively high cost of the material also has its greater advantages. In addition to safety, environmental protection, softness and comfort, it has certain highlights in various aspects such as practical life and beautiful appearance. Compared to plastic ice lattice, the material price of silicone is about 50% more expensive, and the mold cost of early development is about one time lower than that of plastic ice lattice.