Polyethylene (PE)

High-volume packaging thermoplastic produced by addition polymerization of ethylene.

Core Principles & Analysis

• The world's most produced plastic, exceeding 100 million tonnes annually.
• Low-density and high-density grades differ in chain branching, not chemical composition.
• Karl Ziegler's organometallic catalysts enabled low-pressure HDPE production in the 1950s.

Specifications & Metrics

• MONOMER: Ethylene (C₂H₄)