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Materials That Are Used in Making Cans & Other Storage Containers

We often take cans and storage containers for granted. Without them, how would we transport and store food, beverages, cleaners, chemicals or anything dangerous, liquid or perishable? Manufacturers choose the materials used to make containers based on expense, convenience, safety and other factors. Most containers combine new materials with recycled content to save resources. Though these containers are used every day, most people don't know what they're made of.

Aluminum Cans
- Even though simply referred to as aluminum cans, there is more to them than just aluminum. Miners extract bauxite ore, the raw form of aluminum in nature, from the Earth. When refined, aluminum forms a fine powder, aluminum oxide, that is subjected to electric current to remove the oxygen, leaving melted aluminum.. To make aluminum cans, manganese and magnesium powder are mixed in with the aluminum to strengthen the metal. A lacquer spay coats the inside of the cans to prevent reaction between the can and its contents. Other metals are used to make aluminum alloys, but manufacturers keep some things secret to protect their product patents.
Tin Cans
- Tin cans contain much less tin that they did a century ago. In fact," tin cans" of today contain very little tin. Can makers use steel made with low-carbon alloys to form the main part of tin cans. The metals used to make the alloy vary and are trade secrets. Once cans are made from steel, tin coating may be applied to the can's surfaces to prevent corrosion. Lacquer and plastics sometimes coat the inside of cans to keep the metal from reacting with the can's contents.
Glass
- Many companies prefer to use glass bottles and jars to package their products. Glass forms when sand, soda ash and limestone are combined at high temperatures. Different ratios of raw materials are mixed with different compounds to modify the hardness, color and type of glass formed. Modern glassmaking uses large quantities of recyclable material. Glass reacts to very few things, so it makes an ideal container for storing food and beverages that must retain a fresh taste.
Plastics
- Almost all homes and businesses use plastic containers to store everything from food and beverages to cleaning products and pesticides. Most drink packaging uses polyethylene terephthalate, also know as PET#1. Manufacturers of PET #1 adhere to strict safety guidelines to prevent toxins leaching into stored products. Reusable storage containers are mostly made from high-density polyethylene (HDPE). These durable containers don't break down and contaminate food with unhealthy chemicals. HDPE holds up well to hot and cold temperatures in general everyday use in refrigerators, microwave ovens and dishwashers..

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