What is HDPE?
HDPE is one of the seven major forms of plastics commonly used in manufacturing and production today. This article will give a brief overview of HDPE, its properties, and its applications, and demonstrate why scrap HDPE is often the best choice for manufacturers from the standpoint of both cost effective operations, and environmental responsibility.
So, what is this substance known as HDPE? Simply put, HDPE is a plastic with a special set of properties that make it remarkably useful for a wide range of applications. HDPE is an acronym for High Density Polyethylene, and it is a substance most commonly used in packaging, as well as other everyday applications. Like many plastics, HDPE is produced from petroleum. HDPE is a thermoplastic, which means that it melts into a liquid state when heat is applied, which makes it a great recyclable product. This site will deal extensively with scrap HDPE, which is, of course, recycled HDPE. Scrap HDPE has a wide variety of uses and applications, and manufacturers are encouraged to use scrap HDPE where possible in order to lessen the environmental impact that plastic production has.
HDPE is one of the more commonly found plastics, you’re probably familiar with it even if you haven’t heard of it before, because HDPE is the plastic that Tupperware is made out of. You will also find HDPE in plastic bags, water pipes, folding chairs, and plastic refillable bottles. HDPE resists chemicals well, and is a very effective barrier against moisture, which means that it can be used for the packaging of household chemicals, as well as foodstuffs. Not only is HDPE produced in solid blown form for packaging and suchlike, it is also often manufactured as a film, which can be found in product linings, and as packaging for various types of snack foods. In any given day, most of use probably make use of several different forms of HDPE without even knowing it.
An extraordinarily versatile product, it is easy to see why HDPE is in such high demand. It originated as a modification of Polyethylene, which was a plastic invented in 1898 by a German chemist named Hans von Pechmann. Like many scientific inventions and discoveries, polyethylene came about by accident whilst the scientist was heating diazomethane, a toxic explosive. It was then rediscovered in an industrial accident at ICI works in Northwich, England in 1933 when high pressure was applied to benzaldehyde and ethylene tainted with oxygen. Between 1951 and 1953, a range of processes for reliably creating large amounts of polyethylene were created by Robert Banks, Paul J. Hogan of Phillips Petroleum, and Karl Ziegler, another German chemist. Polyethylene has grown hugely in popularity since its invention, and it is now estimated that over 60,000 tonnes of it are produced annually.
HDPE is simply a denser form of polyethylene that is suited to many commercial uses because it remains a solid at room temperature, and is stronger than standard polyethylene. In order to make one kilogram of HDPE, about 1.75 kgs of oil is needed, however due to its high recyclability, HDPE can be used again and again. Because of its strength, products made of HDPE can be reused many times, and are popular with manufacturers and consumers alike.