Polyethylene

Polyethylene or polyethene is a commodity thermoplastic heavily used in consumer products (over 60M tons are produced worldwide every year). Its name originates from the monomer ethene used to create the polymer.

Related Topics:
Thermoplastic - Monomer - Ethene

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In the polymer industry the name is sometimes shortened to PE, similar to how other polymers like polypropylene and polystyrene are shortened to PP and PS, respectively. In the United Kingdom the polymer is called polythene. (e.g. in the Beatles song Polythene Pam).

Related Topics:
Polypropylene - Polystyrene - United Kingdom - Beatles - Polythene Pam

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The ethene molecule (known almost universally by its non-IUPAC name ethylene), C2H4 is CH2 = CH2, Two CH2 connected by a double bond, thus:

Related Topics:
Ethene - IUPAC

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Polyethylene is created through polymerization of ethene. It can be produced through radical polymerization, anionic polymerization, and cationic polymerization. This is because ethene does not have any substituent groups which influence the stability of the propagation head of the polymer. Each of these methods results in a different type of polyethylene.

Related Topics:
Polymerization - Radical polymerization - Anionic polymerization - Cationic polymerization

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