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POLYETHYLENE and POLYPROPYLENE:

Simple, Safe and Strong Plastics

Elsie David
Association of Petrochemical Manufacturers of the Philippines
25-Jul-08
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POLYETHYLENE is among the simplest man-made polymers.

• With the simple ethylene monomer

we can make polyethylene,

H H
which can also be drawn as

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Properties of the Alkane [ H-(CH2)n-H ] Series

No. of Carbons State and Properties of Use Dependent on

in Chain Material Chain Length
1–4 Simple gas LPG for cooking
5 – 11 Simple liquid Gasoline
9 – 16 Medium viscosity liquid Kerosene
16 – 25 High viscosity liquid Oil and grease
Paraffin wax
25 – 50 Simple solid
candles
PE bottles and
1000 – 3000 Tough plastic solid
containers

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POLYPROPYLENE is also among the simplest man-made polymers.

• With the simple propylene monomer

we can make polypropylene,

H H
which can also be drawn as

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STRICTLY SPEAKING...

H H is homopolymer polyethylene

and H H is homopolymer polypropylene.

• A homopolymer consists of only one type of repeating unit

(monomer).

• Sometimes there are two types of repeating units, the

monomer (major) and the comonomer (minor).

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A Gas Phase PE/PP Manufacturing Process...

RESIN VENT
PURIFICATION REACTION DEGASSING RECOVERY

Raw Gases
Materials

PRODUCT SILOS
Resin
EXTRUSION AND
ADDITIVE ADDITION Additives

To Packaging

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• PE and PP resins are simple to manufacture.

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• PE and PP resins are simple to convert into useful articles.

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• PE and PP are simple to design into finished products.

End use: Cost
Properties
Aesthetics

Conversion
Process
PE / PP
Resin

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• Polyethylene and polypropylene:

• have simple structures

• are simple to manufacture as resins

• are simple to convert into useful articles

• are simple to design into finished products

• are simple to recycle

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• Their behavior beyond normal use conditions is

easy and simple to predict.

Decomposition

Degradation

Temperature

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PE and PP are safe plastics.

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•PE and PP are safe to use for food packaging.

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• PE and PP are safe to use for drinking water pipes.

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• PE and PP are safe to use for storing our food.

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• PE and PP are safe to use for grooming and hygienic purposes.

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• HDPE is safe to use for detergents, bleach and lubricants packaging.

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• PE and PP are safe to use in our homes.

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• PE and PP have thousands of other safe uses in our everyday lives.

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SIMPLE...

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SAFE...
• PE and PP articles are safe to use for drinking water
pipes, for food storage and packaging, and for packing
household and industrial chemicals.

• Evalene PE and PP resins are acceptable for food contact

applications based on the Philippine Bureau of Food and
Drug’s requirements (based on US FDA 21CFR177.1520).

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STRONG...
• PE and PP resins can be made stiff and strong for
pallets, crates, pipes, furniture, appliance parts, ropes,
bottles and grocery bags.

• The key to PE and PP stiffness and strength is chain

length and crystallinity.
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Polyethylene Crystalline Structures

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PE Density and Crystallinity

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High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE)

• Density: 0.941 to 0.965 g/cm3

• 70 – 95% crystalline
• A strong, relatively opaque form of PE with a dense structure.
• Characterized by stiffness, strength/toughness, resistance to
chemicals and moisture.

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Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE) /

Linear Low Density Polyethylene (LLDPE)

LDPE
• LDPE Density: 0.910 to 0.930 g/cm3
• LLDPE Density: 0.915 to 0.926 g/cm3
• Characterized by flexibility, toughness, tear resistance, drop
impact resistance.
• Low seal temperature.

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Polypropylene (PP)

• Density is constant at around 0.900 g/cm3.

• Characterized by strength/toughness, resistance to chemicals,
resistance to heat, barrier to moisture.

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HDPE LLDPE / PP
LDPE
Simple to make
and convert
9 9 9

Safe 9 9 9
9
Strong 9 Excellent tear/drop 9
resistance

Recyclable 9 9 9

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