THERMOPLASTIC

“POLYETHYLENE”

THERMOPLASTIC
• Thermo-softening plastic or thermoplastic, becomes soft and flexible at a certain
temperatures and solidifies on cooling.
• Is any polymer that can be shaped and molded as a liquid and remain in that shape as a
solid.
POLYETHYLENE
• Is a light-weighted, durable thermoplastic with variable crystalline structure. It is one of
the most widely produced plastics in the world. Polyethylene is used in a applications
ranging for films, tubes, plastic parts, laminates, etc. in several markets (packaging,
automotive, electrical, etc.)
• Is made from the polymerization of ethylene (or ethene) monomer. Polyethylene
chemical formula is (C2H4)n
Common Types of Polyethylene
• High Density Polyethylene (HDPE)
o Is a cost-effective thermoplastic with linear structure and no or low degree of
branching
o Is flexible, translucent/waxy, weather resistant, and displays toughness at very low
temperatures
o Melting point: 120-140 degrees Celsius
Some of major uses of high density polyethylene include:
1. Packaging Applications
2. Consumer goods
3. Fibers and Textiles
Examples:
 • Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE)
o Is a semi-rigid and translucent polymer. Compared to HDPE, it has a higher
degree of short and long side-chain branching
o Composed of 4,000-40,000 carbon atoms with many short branches
o Melting point 105-115 degrees Celsius
LDPE Applications
1. Packaging
2. Pipes and Fittings
PROPERTIES AND USES
Low-density Polyethylene (LDPE) is very flexible material with very unique
flow properties that makes it particularly suitable to plastic firm applications like
shopping bag. LDPE has high ductility but low tensile strength which is evident in the
real world by its propensity to stretch when strained.
Example:

• Linear Low Density Polyethylene (LLDPE)

o Is produced by polymerization of ethylene (or ethene monomer) with 1-butene
and smaller amounts of 1-hexene and 1-octene, using Ziegler-Natta or
metallocene catalysts. It is structurally similar to LDPE.
o The structure of LLDPE has a linear backbone with short, uniform branches
(unlike longer branches of LDPE). These short branches are able slide against
each other upon elongation without becoming entangled like LDPE.
o In the present day scenario, Linear Low Density Polyethylene has been quite
successful in replacing Low Density Polyethylene.
Example:
 How it is manufactured
• Manufacture of poly(ethene) (polyethylene) Poly(ethene) is made by several methods by
addition polymerization of ethene, which is principally produced by the cracking of
ethane and propane,, naphtha and gas oil. This is sometimes termed bio-based
poly(ethene) (bio-based polyethylene)
• Traditionally, the polymerization was taking place under high pressure (several hundred
bars) and high temperature (up to 300 degrees Celsius) but over the years the energy
input has been reduced by using catalyst systems. The Zeigler and Metallocene catalyst
families have proven to be very flexible at copolymerizing ethylene with other olefins
and have become the basis for the wide range of polyethylene resins available today
including very low density polyethylene and linear low-density polyethylene.
Historical Development
 March 27, 1933
(Imperial Chemical Industries Research Lab)
2 organic chemists: R.O. Gibson and E.W. Facucetts set off a reaction between ethylene
and benzaldehyde, in an autoclave

 1936
The first patents for polythene were registered by Imperial Chemical Industries

 1937
A year later the first practical use for the material as a film was discovered

 1953
Karl Zeiger of the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute and Erhard Holzkamp invented HDPE
 1955
HDPE was produced as pipe

 World War II
Polyethylene was first used as an underwater cable, coating and then as a critical
insulating material for vital military applications as radar insulation

 After World War II

After the war, Polyethylene became a tremendous hit. It became the first plastic in United
States to sell more than a billion pounds a year. It is currently the longest volume plastic in
the world