Material polyethylene (PE)

Polyethylene (PE) is a thermoplastic, i.e. a plastic that can be molded under certain temperatures. Due to its special properties, it is one of the most widely used plastics of all. One of its advantages is that polyethylene (PE) is highly resistant to acids, alkalis, oils and greases.

PE was first produced as early as 1933, but it has only been indispensable since the 1950s, when more economical synthesis methods were developed.

Polyethylene (PE) is a thermoplastic. Thermoplastics consist of largely unbranched, linear macromolecules that can be plastically deformed when heat is applied and retain their shape after cooling. The process is reversible, and when heat is applied again, the body can be deformed again. In simple terms, this means that thermoplastics can be melted again and their geometry changed.

Along with PVC, PE is one of the most versatile thermoplastics. In its basic form, it is colorless, translucent to milky white, feels like wax and can be scratched. It can be dyed in any color.

Different manufacturing methods can produce polyethylene (PE) with a high density (HD-PE = High Density Polyethylene) or polyethylene with a low density (LD-PE = Low Density Polyethylene).

• High-density PE (LDPE or soft PE) is soft and particularly flexible. It is cold-resistant to -50 °C and heat-resistant to a maximum of +60 °C.
• Low-density PE (HDPE or hard PE) is stiffer and more abrasion-resistant than soft PE. It is characterized by cold resistance down to -50 °C and heat resistance up to a maximum of +90 °C.

Both grades have a lower density than water and are characterized in particular by being very stable to chemicals.

However, the material polyethylene (PE) not only has excellent resistance to chemicals, but also to oils, greases, acids and alkalis. Hoses made of polyethylene (PE) are therefore particularly suitable for demanding applications, e.g. for transporting aggressive gaseous and liquid media or for transporting fine-grained particles such as dusts and powders in the chemical sector.

Accordingly, chemical resistance refers to the resistance of a material to various chemicals. In practice, a distinction is often made between "chemically resistant", "chemically conditionally resistant" and "chemically unstable". A material is chemically resistant if it remains intact after prolonged contact with a chemical, i.e. its physical, chemical and mechanical properties remain unchanged. The term chemically inert is also often used as a synonym.

Polyethylene (PE) has a high resistance to acids, alkalis and other chemicals. Polyethylene (PE) is particularly resistant to acetone, benzenes, toluenes and xylenes. In addition, it hardly absorbs any water, is resistant to cold and has very good weldability.

What is the resistance of ester-PUR, ether-PUR and other plastics to chemical substances? Check here which chemicals your materials are resistant to.

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