# What Kind of Plastic in File Tabs?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-plastic-in-file-tabs/480184>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 7, 2009, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-plastic-in-file-tabs/480184 "2009-01-07T02:46:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\
**Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-plastic-in-file-tabs/480184/1 "2009-01-07T02:46:47Z")

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You know those file tab holders that are used in hanging folders: what kind of plastic are those made from?

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**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\
**Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-plastic-in-file-tabs/480184/2 "2009-01-07T03:07:25Z")

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Acetate I’d guess.

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**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\
**Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-plastic-in-file-tabs/480184/3 "2009-01-07T03:11:47Z")

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Likely cellulose acetate.

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**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\
**Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-plastic-in-file-tabs/480184/4 "2009-01-07T03:12:42Z")

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Thx.

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**Author:** ![scm1001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@scm1001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scm1001)\
**Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-plastic-in-file-tabs/480184/5 "2009-01-07T08:00:43Z")

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not sure about cellulose acetate. I suspect it is not used for high production injection moulding much nowdays (more for fibres and some films) though its high transparency might be useful here. Could be perspex, polystyrene or polycarb, though transparent grades of polyethylene or polyprop are also possible. When I get back in a week to the lab might put a sample under the IR to look at it.