Tube (container)

Basically, a tube is a cylindrical, hollow piece with a round or oval profile, made of plastic, paperboard, aluminum, or other metal.

John Goffe Rand, an American portrait painter, invented the squeezable metal tube in 1841 for paint.

The earliest collapsible tubes were made of tin, zinc, or lead, sometimes coated with wax on the inside.

The tube is typically hermetically sealed and nearly germ-free due to the high temperatures during the production process.

It must be produced to a very high standard (for decoration purposes) and also to tight tolerances, compatible with automated processes after extrusion.

Multi-layer plastic tubes have become increasingly popular; they isolate the contents better from the air, allowing them to be used for a wider range of products, such as food.