The Advantages of Using Polyethylene for Plastic Parts

Polyethylene is a versatile and reliable material that continues to play a critical role in manufacturing. It’s an economical option and offers a range of benefits that make it ideal for producing plastic parts. Here are a few advantages of using polyethylene in plastic parts.

Flexibility

Many manufacturers use polyethylene for its flexibility and ability to bend without breaking. These qualities make it ideal for plastic parts. Being able to bend without breaking minimizes the chances of the plastic parts developing cracks, which improves its durability. Flexible plastic lasts significantly longer in various environments. When a polyethylene part experiences pressure that causes it to bend, it keeps its functionality because of its flexibility.

High Tolerance

Polyethylene is an excellent material to use in the manufacturing processes of products with a high tolerance. It withstands temperatures as high as 266 degrees Fahrenheit and is excellent at managing high-stress loads. Furthermore, it resists abrasion, impact, and corrosion. The plastic’s high-tolerance properties make it ideal for various industries, such as automotive, medical, and food packaging.

Environmental Friendliness

Polyethylene is easy to recycle and produces no hazardous chemicals that may lead to environmental pollution. It lessens the chances of a clogged waterway and doesn’t pollute the atmosphere, making it safe for the environment and the people around it. Its recyclability makes it useful for many manufacturers and ensures there’s no plastic shortage.

Aesthetic Appeal

A wide range of colors are available for polyethylene in manufacturing before it hardens, ensuring the final product is aesthetically pleasing. This feature has seen manufacturers use polyethylene to create custom-fabricated plastic parts with design elements that suit their specific requirements. Toys and other unique products use this advantage of polyethylene for plastic parts because of its aesthetic appeal and ensure there’s an easier way to design future products.

Easy Fabrication

Polyethylene is easy to fabricate, making it a cost-effective option compared to other plastics. It’s possible to mass-produce dozens of polyethylene products for your business that require little maintenance. Your manufacturing process will be significantly more efficient by using this plastic for your plastic parts. Small items, such as plastic finishing plugs, have quick turnaround orders because of their easy manufacturing, especially when using plastic injection molding.

Polyethylene is a reliable material that manufacturers use to create bespoke plastic parts. A move toward integrating this material into your production processes is an easy decision that improves the final product. Consider these many advantages of using polyethylene when developing your next project.

At the basis of some of SAB’s products, such as our drip hoses, is Polyethylene, one of the most popular plastics and often found in films, packaging and objects for everyday use, indicated by the acronym PE. This widely used material also covers a wide range of applications for transporting fluids, both pressurised and unpressurised.

Specifically, it is a thermoplastic material in the form of high-density synthetic polymers, which is created through the polymerisation of ethylene, a process in which small particles, known as monomers, are bound together.

But what are the different types of polyethylene?

Its structure is quite simple as it is commonly composed of carbon and hydrogen, but there are different types of polyethylene on the market:

• LDPE / PEBD (low density polyethylene) is a very flexible material and particularly suitable for bags, packaging and other plastic film applications. It has high ductility, but low tensile strength. This is noticeable due to its propensity to stretch when stretched. It is widely used in construction, agriculture, surface protection applications, roofing of all kinds, tarpaulins and more.

• LLDPE (linear low density polyethylene), is similar to LDPE, but offers additional advantages.  Specifically, LLDPE has greater tear resistance than LDPE and greater puncture resistance. It is used for pond liners or blended into other films to give them greater flexibility.

• HDPE/ PEAD / PE – HD (high density polyethylene) is a stronger, harder and more chemical resistant plastic, but less flexible, when compared to the other 4 varieties listed here. HDPE also happens to be the most UV-resistant, without the need for the UV additives often used on the other types to increase its resistance to sunlight. Common uses include rubbish cans, plastic for food cartons and detergents.

• PE – UHMW (ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene) is a specialised, non-fluid polymer processed using metal-like techniques, extremely tough and with a high resistance to abrasion and wear. It has excellent mechanical properties in sub-zero conditions, but low tensile, flexural and compressive strengths. It is used in the construction, mining and food industries, in wear-resistant bearings, in chemical tanks or in high-performance equipment such as bulletproof vests.

Advantages of using polyethylene for large plastic products

Now that the different types of polyethylene have been explained, let us understand what the advantages of these are:

Impact resistance: thanks to its robustness, it can respond positively to unexpected impacts, for example during transport in boats or large containers.

Corrosion resistance: this material is also known to be resistant to deterioration by certain chemical agents, allowing it to be used in contact with, for example, saline solutions. However, its compatibility with different types of substances must always be checked.

Resistance to high temperatures: this means that its mechanical or physical characteristics do not change, reaching a resistance of up to 130° C with high-density polyethylene.

Highly adaptable: polyethylene is versatile and customisable, offering different thicknesses and transparencies as well as various design colours for a more personalised option.

Extremely light: PE is lightweight and does not require much storage space. For this reason, it is easy to transport and manoeuvre. This feature also helps us reduce our carbon footprint when using the product.