High density polyethylene

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High density polyethylene

High-Density PolyEthylene(HDPE) or PolyEthylene High-Density (PEHD) is a polyethylene

Polyethylene

Polyethylene or polythene is a thermoplastic commodity heavily used in consumer products . Over 60 million tons of the material are produced worldwide every year....
thermoplastic

Thermoplastic

A thermoplastic is a polymer that turns to a liquid when heated and freezes to a very glassy state when cooled sufficiently. Most thermoplastics are high-molecular mass polymers whose Chain s associate through weak Van der Waals forces ; stronger dipole interactions and hydrogen bonding ; or even stacking of aromatic rings ....
made from petroleum

Petroleum

Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid found in rock formations in the Earth consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights, plus other organic compounds....
. It takes 1.75 kilogram

Kilogram

The kilogram or kilogrammeThe spelling kilogram is used by the International Committee for Weights and Measures and the U.S....
s of petroleum (in terms of energy

Energy

In physics, energy is a scalar physical quantity that describes the amount of Work_ that can be performed by a force. Energy is an attribute of objects and systems that is subject to a conservation law....
and raw materials) to make one kilogram of HDPE. HDPE is commonly recycled, and has the number "2" as its recycling symbol

Resin identification code

The SPI resin identification coding system is a set of symbols placed on plastics to identify the polymer type. It was developed by the Society of the Plastics Industry in 1988, and used internationally....
. In 2007, the global HDPE market reached a volume of more than 30 million tons.

has little branching

Branching (chemistry)

In polymer chemistry, branching occurs by the replacement of a substituent, e.g, a hydrogen atom, on a monomer subunit, by another covalent bond chain of that polymer; or, in the case of a graft copolymer, by a Chain of another type....
, giving it stronger intermolecular force

Intermolecular force

In physics, chemistry, and biology, intermolecular forces are forces that act between stable molecules or between functional groups of macromolecules....
s and tensile strength

Tensile strength

Tensile strength , or is the Stress at which a material breaks or permanently deforms. Tensile strength is an Intensive and extensive properties and, consequently, does not depend on the size of the test specimen....
than lower-density polyethylene

Polyethylene

Polyethylene or polythene is a thermoplastic commodity heavily used in consumer products . Over 60 million tons of the material are produced worldwide every year....
.

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Properties

HDPE has little branching

Branching (chemistry)

Intermolecular force

In physics, chemistry, and biology, intermolecular forces are forces that act between stable molecules or between functional groups of macromolecules....
s and tensile strength

Tensile strength

Polyethylene

Polyethylene or polythene is a thermoplastic commodity heavily used in consumer products . Over 60 million tons of the material are produced worldwide every year....
. It is also harder and more opaque and can withstand somewhat higher temperature

Temperature

In physics, temperature is a physical property of a Physical system that underlies the common notions of hot and cold; something that feels hotter generally has the greater temperature....
s (120 °C/ 248 °F for short periods, 110 °C /230 °F continuously). High-density polyethylene, unlike polypropylene

Polypropylene

Polypropylene or polypropene is a thermoplastic polymer, made by the chemical industry and used in a wide variety of applications, including packaging, textiles , stationery, plastic parts and reusable containers of various types, laboratory equipment, loudspeakers, automotive components, and polymer banknotes....
, cannot withstand normally-required autoclaving

Autoclave

An autoclave is a pressure vessel designed to heat aqueous solutions above their boiling point at normal atmospheric pressure to achieve sterilization ....
conditions. The lack of branching is ensured by an appropriate choice of catalyst (e.g., Ziegler-Natta catalyst

Ziegler-Natta catalyst

A Ziegler-Natta catalyst is a reagent or a mixture of reagents used in the production of polymers of 1-alkenes . Ziegler-Natta catalysts are typically based on titanium compounds and organometallic chemistry aluminium compounds, for example triethylaluminium, 3Al....
s) and reaction

Chemical reaction

A chemical reaction is a process that always results in the interconversion of chemical substances. The substance or substances initially involved in a chemical reaction are called reactants....
conditions. HDPE contains the chemical elements carbon

Carbon

Carbon is a chemical element with chemical symbol C and atomic number 6. As a member of group 14 on the periodic table, it is nonmetallic and tetravalence?making four electrons available to form covalent bond chemical bonds....
and hydrogen

Hydrogen

Hydrogen is the chemical element with atomic number 1. It is represented by the chemical symbol H. At standard temperature and pressure, hydrogen is a colorless, odorless, nonmetallic, tasteless, highly combustion and explosive Diatomic molecule gas with the molecular formula H2....
.

Applications

HDPE is resistant to many different solvent

Solvent

A solvent is a liquid or gas that dissolves a solid, liquid, or gaseous solute, resulting in a solution.The most common solvent in everyday life is water....
s and has a wide variety of applications, including:

Container
Container

Container may refer to:* Packaging and labelling used to contain, store, and transport products, such as boxes, bottles, cans, etc.**See :Category:Containers for a more complete list ...
s

Laundry detergent
Laundry detergent

Laundry detergent, or washing powder, is a substance which is a type of detergent that is added when one is washing laundry to aid in getting the laundry cleaner....
bottles
Milk
Milk

Milk is an opaque white liquid produced by the mammary glands of female mammals . It provides the primary source of nutrition for newborn mammals before they are able to digestion other types of food....
jugs
Fuel tank
Fuel tank

A fuel tank is safe container for flammable liquids and typically part of an engine system in which the fuel is stored and propelled or released into an engine....
s for vehicles

Folding table
Table

selfref|For use of tables to display information in Wikipedia, see...
s
Folding chair
Folding chair

A folding chair is a light portable chair that can be stored in a stack, row or on a specially designed cart . They are usually used for seating large amounts of people in an arena where permanent seating is not possible or practical....
s
Storage shed
Shed

A shed is typically a simple, single-floor structure in a back garden or on an allotment that is used for storage, hobby, or as a workshop. The modern Oxford English Dictionary defines sheds as a "slight structure built for shelter or storage, or for use as a workshop, either a separate building or attached to a permanent building as a l...
s
Portable basketball system bases
Plastic bag
Plastic bag

A plastic bag or pouch is a type of flexible packaging made of thin, flexible, plastic film. Plastic bags are used for containing and transporting foods, produce, powders, ice, chemicals, waste, etc....
s
Containment of certain chemicals
Chemical compound

A chemical compound is a Chemical substance consisting of two or more different chemical element Chemical bond together in a fixed mass ratio that can be split into simpler substances....
Chemical-resistant piping
Piping

Within industry, piping is a system of pipe used to convey fluids from one location to another. The engineering discipline of piping design studies the efficient transport of fluid....
systems
Heat-resistant fireworks
Fireworks

A firework is classified as a low explosive material pyrotechnics device used primarily for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. The most common use of a firework is as part of a fireworks display....
display mortars
Mortar (weapon)

A mortar is a Muzzleloader indirect fire weapon that fires shell at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing Ballistics trajectories. It typically has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....
Geothermal
Geothermal heating

Geothermal heating is best defined as the use of the Earth's thermal energy for space and water heating. It has been used since the time of the Roman Empire as a way of HVAC buildings and spas by utilizing sources of hot water and steam that exist near the Earth's surface....
heat transfer piping systems
Natural gas
Natural gas

Natural gas is a gas consisting primarily of methane. It is found associated with fossil fuels, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is created by methanogenic organisms in marshes, bogs, and landfills....
distribution pipe systems
Water pipe
Water pipe

Water pipes are Pipe or Tubing , frequently made of polyvinyl chloride , ductile iron, polyethylene, or copper, that carry Pressure and Water purification fresh water to buildings , as well as inside the building....
s, for domestic water supply
Coax cable inner insulator
Electrical insulation

An insulator, also called a dielectric, is a material that resists the flow of electric current. An insulating material has atoms with tightly bonded valence electrons....
s (dielectric
Dielectric

A dielectric is a nonconducting substance, i.e. an Insulator . The term was coined by William Whewell in response to a request from Michael Faraday....
insulating spacer)
Root
Root

In vascular plants, the root is the organ of a plant body that typically lies below the surface of the soil. This is not always the case, however, since a root can also be aerial root or aerating ....
barrier
Corrosion
Corrosion

Corrosion means the breaking down of essential properties in a material due to chemical reactions with its surroundings. In the most common use of the word, this means a loss of electrons of metals reacting with water and oxygen....
protection for steel
Steel

Steel is an alloy consisting mostly of iron, with a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.14% by weight , depending on grade. Carbon is the most cost-effective alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten....
pipelines
Tyvek
Tyvek

Tyvek is a brand of flashspun high-density polyethylene fibers, a Chemical synthesis material; the name is a registered trademark of DuPont....
Snowboard
Snowboard

A snowboard is a thin, hourglass shaped board ridden down a sloped section of earth covered in snow. Snowboards generally have a length between 140-165 cm and a width between 24 and 27 cm....
rails and boxes
Bottles, suitable for use as refillable bottles
Modern hula hoop
Hula hoop

A hula hoop is a toy hoop that is twirled around the waist, limbs, or neck. They are usually made of plastic, though they may also be made out of wood or other materials....
s
Ballistic plates
Fences

HDPE is also used for cell liner

Landfill liner

A landfill liner, or composite landfill liner, is intended to be a low permeable barrier, which is laid down under engineered landfill sites....
s in subtitle D

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act

The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act , enacted in 1976, is the principal Federal law in the United States governing the disposal of solid waste and hazardous waste....
sanitary landfills, wherein large sheets of HDPE are either extrusion

Extrusion

Extrusion is a process used to create objects of a fixed cross section profile. A material is pushed or drawn through a Die of the desired cross-section....
or wedge welded to form a homogeneous chemical-resistant barrier, with the intention of preventing the pollution

Pollution

Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into an environment that causes instability, disorder, harm or discomfort to the ecosystem i.e. physical systems or living organisms ....
of soil

Soil

Soil is the naturally occurring, unconsolidated or loose covering on the Earth's surface. Soil is composed of particles of broken rock that have been altered by chemical and environmental processes including weathering and erosion....
and groundwater

Groundwater

Groundwater is water located beneath the ground surface in soil porosity spaces and in the fractures of lithologic formations. A unit of rock or an unconsolidated deposit is called an aquifer when it can yield a usable quantity of water....
by the liquid constituents of solid waste.

One of the largest uses for HDPE is wood plastic composites and composite wood, with recycled

Plastic recycling

Plastic recycling is the process of recovering scrap or waste plastics and reprocessing the material into useful products, sometimes completely different in form from their original state....
polymers leading the way.

HDPE is also widely used in the pyrotechnics

Pyrotechnics

Pyrotechnics is the science of materials capable of undergoing self-contained and self-sustained exothermic chemical reactions for the production of heat, light, gas, smoke and/or sound....
trade. HDPE mortars are preferred to steel or PVC tubes because they are more durable and more importantly they are much safer compared to steel or PVC. If a shell or salute were to malfunction (flowerpot) in the mortar, HDPE tends to rip and tear instead of shattering into sharp pieces which can kill or maim onlookers. PVC and steel are particularly prone to this and their use is avoided where possible.

Milk bottles and other hollow goods manufactured through blow molding are the most important application area for HDPE - More than 8 million tons, or nearly one third of worldwide production, was applied here. Above all, China, where beverage bottles made from HDPE were first imported in 2005, is a growing market for rigid HDPE packaging, as a result of its improving standard of living. In India and other highly populated, emerging nations, infrastructure expansion includes the deployment of pipes and cable insulation made from HDPE. The environmentally friendly material has benefited from discussions about possible health and environmental problems caused by PVC and Polycarbonate associated Bisphenol A

Bisphenol A

Bisphenol A, commonly abbreviated as BPA, is an organic compound with two phenol functional groups. It is a difunctional building block of several important plastics and plastic additives....
, as well as, its advantages over glass, metal and cardboard.

High density polyethylene

Properties

Applications

See also

External links