Polyethylene The New “IT” Product

Polyethylene Polyethylene is a commonly used polymer, is in high demand, and is easy to mass produce. Multiple different types can be produced, including UHMWPE, ULMWPE, HMWPE, HDPE, HDXLPE, XLPE, MDPE, LLDPE, LDPE, and VLDPE. Cost effective to produce, raw materials are easy to procure, and the equipment to produce it is very cheap.

Polyethylene Melts between 100 and 130 °C. Will not dissolve and resist’s chemicals due to it’s crystallinity. Can be heat formed, holds shape after it cools Lightweight yet able to hold many times it’s weight.

Manufacture Polyethylene is a long polymer chain formed of ethylene monomers. It is made by use of a fluidized bed reactor using petroleum hydrocarbons and a catalyst to facilitate it’s reaction to create polyethylene. Raw materials are crude oil and natural gas.

Fluidized Bed Reactor Reactor designed to carry out a variety of multiphase chemical reactions. Uses gas distribution and flow principles to allow liquids to react to form solids which are then taken out of the reactor while more raw materials are added Works at low pressure and medium temperature.

Profit Producing polyethylene gives low cost to production ratio. Polyethylene can be sold to companies all over the world to make bags, containers, and personal protective clothing, as well as machinery parts and equipment. Fully recyclable.

Job & Careers Factory managers Oil sand worker/Off shore drillers Car manufactures

Pros Lightweight and tough, resistant to most chemicals. Interregnal to modern society. Used in majority of modern day equipment and facilities

Polyethylene Cons Made of non-renewable limited resources, mainly gas and oil. Takes hundreds of years to degrade in the environment. Most times it is not disposed of properly, causing it to enter the environment and cause problems.

Cons Environmentally damaging to produce. Raw materials are extracted using environmentally damaging methods, including offshore drilling and the Tar Sands. When burned, polyethylene releases many toxic chemicals.

Bibliography Fluidized Bed reactor. November 24, 2009. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluidized_bed_reactor Harrison, Karl. Polyethylene @ 3Dchem.com. April 2007. http://www.3dchem.com/molecules.asp?ID=332 Polyethylene. June 7, 2010. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyethylene The University of Southern Mississippi. 2005. http://pslc.ws/macrog/pe.htm