Wall Thickness
Wall Thickness
The measurement of a container's sidewall in mils (thousandths of an inch), indicating durability and strength.
Wall thickness measures the sidewall of a plastic container in mils (1 mil = 0.001 inch). Standard 5-gallon HDPE pails have a minimum wall thickness of 90 mils (0.090 inches). Thicker walls provide greater impact resistance, stacking strength, and chemical barrier properties. Wall thickness is a critical specification for UN certification, as the container must maintain structural integrity during drop tests and stacking tests. Premium pails may have wall thicknesses of 100+ mils for heavy-duty applications.