Production
High-density polyethylene (HDPE) or polyethylene high-density (PEHD) is a polyethylene thermoplastic made from petroleum. It is sometimes called “alkathene” or “polythene” when used for pipes. With a high strength-to-density ratio, HDPE is used in the production of plastic bottles, corrosion-resistant piping, geomembranes, and plastic lumber. HDPE is commonly recycled, and has the number “2” as its resin identification code
Applications
HDPE is resistant to many different solvents and has a wide variety of applications:
- Swimming pool installation
- 3-D printer filament
- Arena Board (puck board)
- Backpacking frames
- Ballistic plates
- Banners
- Bottle caps
- Chemical-resistant piping
- Coax cable inner insulator
- Food storage containers
- Fuel tanks for vehicles
- Corrosion protection for steel pipelines
- Personal Hovercraft; albeit too heavy for good performance
- Electrical and plumbing boxes