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Polyethylene

This article is about the plastic. For the Radiohead song, see Polyethylene (Parts 1 & 2).
"Polythene" redirects here. For the Feeder album, see Polythene (album).

Polyethylene
Skeletal formula of a ris monomer
Spacefill model of polyethylene
Sample of granulated polyethylene
Names
IUPAC name
Polyethene or poly(methylene)[1]
Other names
Polyethylene
Polythene
Identifiers
Abbreviations PE
ChemSpider
  • none
ECHA InfoCard 100.121.698 Edit this at Wikidata
KEGG
MeSH Polyethylene
UNII
Properties
(C2H4)n
Density 0.88–0.96 g/cm3[2]
Melting point 115–135 °C (239–275 °F; 388–408 K)[2]
Not soluble
log P 1.02620[3]
−9.67×10−6 (HDPE, SI, 22 °C)[4]
Thermochemistry
−28 to −29 kJ/mole[5]
650-651 kJ/mole, 46 MJ/kg[5]
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
The repeating unit within polyethylene in the most stable[6] staggered conformation
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Fiber
Natural fibers
Animal
Plant
Mineral
Human-made fibers
Regenerated fibers
Semi-synthetic fibers
Synthetic fibers

Polyethylene or polythene (abbreviated PE; IUPAC name polyethene or poly(methylene)) is the most commonly produced plastic.[7] It is a polymer, primarily used for packaging (plastic bags, plastic films, geomembranes and containers including bottles, cups, jars, etc.). As of 2017, over 100 million tonnes of polyethylene resins are being produced annually, accounting for 34% of the total plastics market.[8][9]

Many kinds of polyethylene are known, with most having the chemical formula (C2H4)n. PE is usually a mixture of similar polymers of ethylene, with various values of n. It can be low-density or high-density and many variations thereof. Its properties can be modified further by crosslinking or copolymerization. All forms are nontoxic as well as chemically resilient, contributing to polyethylene's popularity as a multi-use plastic. However, polyethylene's chemical resilience also makes it a long-lived and decomposition-resistant pollutant when disposed of improperly.[10] Being a hydrocarbon, polyethylene is colorless to opaque (without impurities or colorants) and combustible.[11]

  1. ^ Compendium of Polymer Terminology and Nomenclature – IUPAC Recommendations 2008 (PDF). Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  2. ^ a b Batra, Kamal (2014). Role of Additives in Linear Low Density Polyethylene (LLDPE) Films. p. 9. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
  3. ^ "poly(ethylene)". ChemSrc.
  4. ^ Wapler, M. C.; Leupold, J.; Dragonu, I.; von Elverfeldt, D.; Zaitsev, M.; Wallrabe, U. (2014). "Magnetic properties of materials for MR engineering, micro-MR and beyond". JMR. 242: 233–242. arXiv:1403.4760. Bibcode:2014JMagR.242..233W. doi:10.1016/j.jmr.2014.02.005. PMID 24705364. S2CID 11545416.
  5. ^ a b Paul L. Splitstone and Walter H. Johnson (20 May 1974). "The Enthalpies of Combustion and Formation of Linear Polyethylene" (PDF). Journal of Research of the National Bureau of Standards.
  6. ^ Hemakumara, G. P. T. S.; Madhusankha, T. G. Shamal (2023). "Challenges of Reducing Polythene and Plastic in Sri Lanka: A Case Study of Attanagalla Secretariat Division". Socially Responsible Plastic. Developments in Corporate Governance and Responsibility. 19: 59–73. doi:10.1108/S2043-052320230000019004. ISBN 978-1-80455-987-1.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference Ullmann was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Geyer, Roland; Jambeck, Jenna R.; Law, Kara Lavender (1 July 2017). "Production, use, and fate of all plastics ever made". Science Advances. 3 (7): e1700782. Bibcode:2017SciA....3E0782G. doi:10.1126/sciadv.1700782. PMC 5517107. PMID 28776036.
  9. ^ "Plastics: The Facts" (PDF). Plastics Europe. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 February 2018. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  10. ^ Yao, Zhuang; Jeong Seong, Hyeon; Jang, Yu-Sin (2022). "Environmental toxicity and decomposition of polyethylene". Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety. 242: 1, 3. Bibcode:2022EcoES.24213933Y. doi:10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.113933. PMID 35930840.
  11. ^ Sepe, Michael (8 April 2024). "Understanding the 'Science' of Color". Plastics Technology. Retrieved 25 April 2024.

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