POLYETHYLENE (PE) : (Water Density : 997kg/m3 / 0.

998g/cm3)

Density of polyethylene : 0.88 to 0.96g/cm3

880kg/m3 to 960kg/m3

Chemical Formula  : (C2H4)n. 

Properties :
 Mechanical
Polyethylene is of low strength, hardness and rigidity, but has a high ductility and impact strength as
well as low friction

 Electrical
is a good electrical insulator. It offers good electrical treeing resistance; however, it becomes
easily electrostatically charged (which can be reduced by additions of graphite, carbon
black or antistatic agents).

 Polymerization
Polymerization of ethylene to polyethylene is described by the following chemical equation:

o n CH2=CH2 (gas) → [−CH2−CH2−]n (solid)  ΔH/n = −25.71 ± 0.59 kcal/mol

(−107.6 ± 2.5 kJ/mol)

Ethylene is a stable molecule that polymerizes only upon contact with catalysts. The conversion is
highly exothermic. Coordination polymerization is the most pervasive technology, which means that
metal chlorides or metal oxides are used. The most common catalysts consist of titanium(III) chloride,
the so-called Ziegler–Natta catalysts. Another common catalyst is the Phillips catalyst, prepared by
depositing chromium(VI) oxide on silica.[15] Polyethylene can be produced through radical
polymerization, but this route has only limited utility and typically requires high-pressure apparatus.

 Low-density (LDPE)

LDPE is defined by a density range of 0.910–0.940 g/cm3. LDPE has a high degree of short- and long-
chain branching, which means that the chains do not pack into the crystal structure as well. It has,
therefore, less strong intermolecular forces as the instantaneous-dipole induced-dipole attraction is
less. This results in a lower tensile strength and increased ductility.

 Types of polyethylenes
The particular material properties of "polyethylene" depend on its molecular structure. Molecular weight
and crystallinity are the most significant factors; crystallinity in turn depends on molecular weight and
degree of branching. The less the polymer chains are branched, and the lower the molecular weight,
the higher the crystallinity of polyethylene. Crystallinity ranges from 35% (PE-LD/PE-LLD) to 80% (PE-
HD). Polyethylene has a density of 1.0 g/cm3 in crystalline regions and 0.86 g/cm3 in amorphous
regions.