What is a laminated bulk bag?

A coating also referred to as lamination, is an additional polypropylene film that is added to the fabric. It sealed the small gaps in the poly weaves to act as a moisture barrier. This layer of film can be added to the inside or outside of the bag. To achieve a higher percentage of waterproofing on the Ssuper Sack, an inner liner of PE can be introduced into the bag for close to 99% waterproof

How much product can a Ssuper Sack hold? 

Ssuper sacks are manufactured to a Safe Working Load (SWL) of 500kg to 2,000kg.

What does 5:1 and 6:1 SF mean? 

Most woven polypropylene bags are manufactured for single trip. These single use bags are rated at a 5:1 safety factor ratio (SF) that means the bag can hold up to five times the amount of their rated safe working load (SWL). For safety reasons, it is not recommended to fill up the bag over its safe working load.

Some woven polypropylene Ssuper Sacks are manufactured for multiple trips. These multiple trips bags are rated at a 6:1 safety factor ratio. It means the sack can hold up to six times their safe working load. Again, for safety reasons, it is not advisable to fill the sack over its safe working load.

What is the difference between U-Panel, Circular, & 4-Panel bulk bags? 

U-panel bags are constructed with three body panels – one full length running across the front and back of the bag, and two sides fabric sewn into the larger piece. The U-panel bags form a square shape when filled, especially a U-panel bag with baffles.

Circular bags are made with a tubular piece of fabric. The construction with a single piece of fabric to forms all four sides of the bag only requires top and bottom fabric to be stitched to create the bag.

4-panel bags are constructed with four individual pieces sewn together to form a square structure. When filled, a 4-panel bag will hold its square shape the best, compared to the U-panel and circular bag. The only drawback to create 4-panel bags is the large amount of stitching required to keep the bag together. This can allow for more areas of the bag prone to failure.  However, 4-panel bags are ideal for storage due to the way they hold their shape when filled.

What are the type of Ssuper Sacks?

Type A is made of plain-woven polypropylene and other non-conductive fabrics. Static electricity is generated as products move or rub against the inside surface of the bulk bag when they are filled or emptied. No static protection is found in Type A FIBCs.

PROS
To transport non-flammable products.
No flammable solvents or gases present around the bag.

Do not use type A for:
Transporting flammable products.
When flammable solvents or gases are present around the bag.
Should not be used where a flammable atmosphere with a minimum ignition energy ≤1,000mJ is present.

Type B is made of plain-woven polypropylene fabrics or other non-conductive material that have a low breakdown voltage to prevent an incident with highly energetic, and dangerous propagating brush discharges occur. Although Type B bulk bags can prevent propagating brush discharges, they are not considered antistatic bulk bags because they do not dispel an electrostatic charge.

PROS
To transport dry, flammable powders.
No flammable solvents or gases present around the bulk bag.
Intended to be used in environments with dust with ignition energies less than 3mJ.

Do not use type B for:
When flammable solvents or gases are present around the bulk bag.

Type C, also known as conductive FIBCs or ground-able FIBCs, are made from non-conductive polypropylene fabrics interwoven with conducting threads traditionally sewn in a grid pattern. These conducting threads must be electrically interconnected as well as connected to a designated ground/earth during filling and discharging. This connection to the ground/earth during filling and discharging is imperative to the safe use of Type C bulk bags.

PROS
To transport flammable powders.
When flammable vapors, gases, or combustable dusts are present.

Do not use type C:
When ground connection is not present or has become damaged.
Resistance from any location FIBC to ground-able point.

Type D FIBCs are made from antistatic and static dissipative fabrics. It is designed to prevent the occurrence of incendiary sparks, brush discharges and propagating brush discharges from the bag to a designated ground/earth. The fabric contains quasi-conductive yarns that dissipate static electricity into the atmosphere via safe, low-energy corona discharge. It is used to package combustible products and handle products in combustible and flammable environments.

PROS
To transport flammable powders.
When flammable vapors, gases, or combustable dusts are present.

Do not use type D:
When surface of FIBC is contaminated or coated with conductive material such as grease or other flammable and or combustible materials.

What is an Intermediate Bulk Container?

A rigid Intermediate Bulk Container, also referred to as IBC, IBC Tote, IBC Tank, and simply Tote), is a UN permitted shipping container. It is manufactured to specified gallon volumes, dimensions, base footprint, manoeuvrability, pressure-relief, and engineering standards. Our standard IBC tank maintains the UN approval for handling and freight transport of potentially hazardous materials belonging to Packing Group II and III, as defined within the HMR (Hazardous Materials Regulation).

What are the advantages of using IBC?

The following are some common advantages to IBC container use and integration:

  • Consistent product packaging
  • Reliable product containerization
  • Promote payload security
  • Promote product distribution
  • Hands-free discharge/transfer
  • Ensure sanitary product transfer
  • Eliminate container spills, product loss
  • Increase logistic handling, mobility
  • Large volume tank, highly relocatable
  • Easy to transport, manoeuvre
  • Multi-directional movement access
  • Limit contamination concerns
  • Limit cross-contamination concerns
  • Food grade storage, safety
  • Restricts pollutant infiltration
  • Space-saving cubical engineering
  • Volume maximizing design
  • Large capacity range
  • Standardized dimensions
  • Increased product safety
  • Application versatility
  • Long service potential
  • Reusable, cleanable, recyclable
  • Excellent cost-to-service life ratio
  • Integration within process streams
  • Improve logistic efficiency
  • International use, standards, regulations
  • International dimensions, acceptance
  • Improve handling timeliness
  • Reduce bottlenecks, delays
  • Reduce filling/dispensing times
  • Increase worker efficiency
  • Reduce operation costs

What are plastics?

Plastics are derived from natural and organic materials. These materials include cellulose, coal, natural gas and salt derived from crude oil. Crude oil is a complex mixture of thousands of compounds and needs to be processed before it can be used. Plastics are in general lightweight with significant degrees of strength. It can be molded, extruded, cast and blown into any shapes and sizes.

How are Plastics Made?

They are simply chains of molecules linked together. These chains are called polymers, and many plastics name begin with “poly,” such as polypropylene, polyethylene, and polystyrene. The production of plastics begins with the distillation of crude oil in a refinery. This step separates the heavy crude into groups of lighter components, called fractions. Each fraction has a mixture of different hydrocarbon chains attached to its own properties, structure, and size.

What are the types of plastic?

7 types of plastic are distinguished and separated based on the chemical makeup and codes allocated to them by international agreement. Below is a table explaining each type of plastic.

Type Description

1. Polyethylene Terephthalate (PETE or PET) The most common thermoplastic polymer resin of the polyester family and is used in fibres for clothing, containers for liquids and foods, thermoforming for manufacturing, and in combination with glass fibre for engineering resins.

2. High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE or PEHD) Made from petroleum, it has a high strength-to-density ratio. HDPE is used in the production of plastic bottles, corrosion-resistant piping, geomembranes, and plastic lumber.

3. Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) PVC is the world's third-most widely produced synthetic plastic polymer, after polyethylene and polypropylene. The rigid form of PVC is used in construction for pipe and in profile applications such as doors and windows. It is also used in making bottles, non-food packaging, and cards (such as bank or membership cards)

4. Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE or PELD) LDPE is most commonly used in the plastic bag, also found in containers, dispensing bottles, wash bottles, tubing, and various molded laboratory equipment.

5. Polypropylene (PP) Polypropylene is the second-most widely produced commodity plastic. It is often used in packaging and labelling due to high chemical resistance.

6. Polystyrene or Styrofoam (PS) Uses include protective packaging (such as packing peanuts and CD and DVD cases), containers (such as "clamshells"), lids, bottles, trays, tumblers, disposable cutlery and in the making of models.

7. Other (O) Miscellaneous plastics such as polycarbonate, polylactide, acrylic, acrylonitrile butadiene, styrene, fiberglass, and nylon  are often used in medical tools and food storage.

How are different plastics distinguished?

Touch and  sound:

LDPE feels soft and smooth, like the Zip-lock bag we enjoy storing our stuff in. Additionally, if you rub it together, it will make a soft swishing sound, as opposed to a crinkling, harsher sound.

HDPE feels harder and essentially, more crinkly. Many plastic shopping bags are manufactured from HDPE, and the easiest way to distinguish them from LDPE bags is from the sound they make when you crinkle them in your hands. If the sound is soft and swishing (think of green leaves blowing in the trees), then you have identified LDPE; if the sound is crisper and crinkly (think of dry leaves being squished together), then you have HDPE. The two sounds are quite distinct.

PP, also known as polyprop or polypropylene sounds similar to HDPE and are crinkly. PP is generally used for packaging food, such as Ssuper Sack, food wrappers, or the clear packets. It feels much firmer and stiffer. When it is rips and tears, it does not stretch.

BURN: The polyolefins ignite quite readily. Be careful if you are testing this type of plastic because molten plastic can drip and will leave an ugly burn if you make contact with it.

FLAME: A blue flame with a yellow tip would be indicative of the polyolefins and nylon. You might think, well how would you separate these two if their flame is the same? Remember from above, the polyolefins would float and nylon (PA) would sink.

A yellow flame with a green tip on contact shows PVC (Polyvinyl Choride), yellow with dark smoke could be PET or Polycarbonate, and yellow with sooty, dark, smoke could be polystyrene or ABS (the plastic housing of your computer monitor).

SMELL: PET smells similar to burnt sugar (the odour reminds the author of eating candy-floss or sugar-candy in his childhood). PVC has an acrid smell like chlorine, so stay away from the smoke and gas given off by PVC. LDPE and HDPE smell like candle wax, while Polypropylene smells similar to candle wax, but with an element of paraffin to it. ABS and polystyrene both smell like styrene, but the ABS also has a faint rubbery smell to it. WARNING: if you have already identified the plastic from other methods and particularly in where you suspect the plastic is PVC, do not smell the smoke. If you must, we advise against it where possible, a small whiff of the smoke will give you further clues as to the plastic identification code under which your suspect can be classified

What are the Pros and Cons of Using Plastic?

PROS

  • Need less energy to transport and distribute it.
  • Can be recycled
  • It is resistant to corrosion and chemicals
  • It can be coloured, melted, shaped, squashed, rolled into sheets or made into fibres
  • They make excellent fishing lines, glues and paints.

CONS

  • Small creatures like bacteria just can't eat them up or break them up, because plastic alone is non-biodegradable
  • Often is not recycled
  • The elements do not fully break down plastics
  • They aren't as strong as metals like steel.
  • When thrown on land it makes the soil less fertile.
  • When thrown in water, it chokes our ponds, rivers and oceans and harms the sea life.

Is plastic biodegradable?

Biodegradability of plastics largely depends on the type of plastic and where it ends up. Many plastics do not biodegrade regardless of environmental conditions. While some degrade gradually if exposed to air, water and light. Both types are best recycled or used for their stored energy.

Are Ssuper Sacks recyclable? 

Ssuper Sack, also known as Flexible Intermediate Bulk Containers (FIBC) are made from 100% polypropylene. It can be recycled. There is one caveat to recycling bags; Most recyclers only collect in large quantities. Recycling is usually only feasible for businesses that use large quantitates of bags or can store used bags over time. \

When and how can I recycle my bulk bag?

Ssangleong Ssuper Sacks are made from virgin polypropylene, that can be re-purposed into other plastic products. Most bags are suitable for recycling, including those used to store construction materials, chemicals, grains, fertilizers, pigments and plastics. For recycling purposes, the bags are classified into different recycling grades:

Grade A: Clean and bright white. Colored stitching and handles are allowed.
Grade B: Not as clean but still predominantly white with minimal coloring.
Grade C: Dirty and or colored.

When can I reuse my Ssuper Sacks?

Ssuper Sacks are built to be flexible yet durable. Our Ssuper Sacks are rated at a 5:1 safety factor ratio (SFR), which means it has the ability to hold 5 times the amount of its safe working load (SWL). 5:1 safety ratio bags are single-use bags. Bags designed for multiple uses are made with a higher safety factor ratio of 6:1. Only bags with a SFR of 6:1 are designed for multiple uses.

When reusing the sacks, we suggest the bags are cleaned, reconditioned and qualified for reuse to handle the same product in the same application for which the bag was originally designed.

To safely reuse Ssuper Sack, we recommend these guidelines:

1.  Cleaning

  • Remove all foreign matter from the interior of the bag.
  • Ensure statically held dust is less than 4 ounces total.
  • Replace liner if applicable

2. Reconditioning

  • Replace web ties.
  • Replace labels and tickets critical to safe bag use.
  • Replace cord-locks if necessary.

3. Reasons for rejecting a FIBC

  • Lift strap damage.
  • Contamination.
  • Damp, wet and mold.
  • Wood splinters.
  • Printing is smeared, faded or otherwise unreadable.

4. Tracking

  • The manufacturer should maintain a record of origin, the product used in the bag and the number of uses or turns.

5. Testing

  • Bags should be selected randomly for top lift testing. The frequency and quantity determined by the manufacturer and/or user based on their specific situation.