Polyethylene (PE) is a thermoplastic resin produced by polymerization of ethylene. In industry, it also includes copolymers of ethylene with small amounts of α-olefins. Polyethylene is odorless, non-toxic, feels like wax, has excellent low temperature resistance (the minimum use temperature can reach -100~-70 °C), good chemical stability, can resist most acids and alkalis (not resistant to acids with oxidizing properties). Insoluble in general solvents at room temperature, small water absorption, excellent electrical insulation.
Polyethylene is sensitive to environmental stresses (chemical and mechanical actions) and has less resistance to heat aging than polymer chemical structures and processing strips. Polyethylene can be processed by molding methods of general thermoplastics. It is widely used in the manufacture of films, packaging materials, containers, pipes, monofilament, wires and cables, daily necessities, etc., and can be used as high-frequency insulation materials for televisions and radars. With the development of petrochemical industry, polyethylene production has developed rapidly, and the output accounts for about 1/4 of the total output of plastics. In 1983, the world's total polyethylene production capacity was 24.65 Mt, and the capacity of installations under construction was 3.16 Mt. According to the latest statistics in 2011, the global production capacity reached 96 Mt, and the development trend of polyethylene production shows that production and consumption are gradually shifting to Asia, and China is increasingly becoming the most important consumer market.
