PE

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Polyethylene (PE) is a common yet extremely useful and cost-effective plastic polymer. First developed in the 1950s, PE is found nearly everywhere today from plastic grocery bags, plastic wrap, drain pipes, milk cartons, to trash cans. PE is an easily processed thermoplastic which can be made into a variety of shapes and forms including tubing. An especially convenient quality of PE is its ability to easily be altered during processing to give a variety forms that differ based on polymer chain length, density, and crystallinity. These characteristics allow PE products to be tailored for a variety of uses.

As an example, high-density PE (HDPE) has a comparatively more linear morphology and higher degree of crystallinity than low-density PE (LDPE). HDPE is lightweight and possesses good tensile strength, while LDPE exhibits good chemical resistance. PE can be further modified by resin manufacturers to increase its structural and functional properties. PE polymer chains can be extended to produce ultra-high molecular weight (UHMW) PE to give a very dense PE product. Linear LDPE (LLDPE) has a greater proportion of short branches resulting greater flexibility.

While these are but a few of the variations of PE, at Zeus we are always focusing on tailoring your product just for you. Our PE tubing products can also be made with a variety of value-add modifications.

All Zeus PE products are custom ordered.

Ask us about our complete Value-add services available.

To learn more about our PE products and options, contact us or call us toll-free in the US at 1-800-526-3842. Outside of the US, you can reach us at +1-803-268-9500.

Note: The information in the Zeus website, catalog, and other sources presents and discusses generally accepted properties for non-pigmented virgin polymer resins from which Zeus fabricates its line of extruded products. Actual properties may change due to processing method, resin grade, extruded dimensions, and other variables. It is the end user’s responsibility to fully evaluate and test the fitness of the product for their specific application.

  • APPLICATIONS

    Insulation – Polyethylene has a comparatively low dielectric constant which is stable over wide frequency ranges making it a particularly good insulator.

    Liners for piping – PE’s chemical resistance makes this material an excellent option for lining of metal pipes which could be subject to corrosion from chemical or electrical exposure.

    Tubing for fluid transport – PE’s good chemical resistance also supports its use for fluid transport. HDPE can tolerate a pH range from 1.4 to 14.

    Cable wrap – Because of PE’s dielectric properties and its ability to easily be made into tubing, spiral cut PE tubing is an economical and good-performing protection for cables and wires.

  • PRODUCTS

    Tubing – PE can be made into a broad spectrum of tubing products to suit almost any need. Zeus specializes in customizing our tubing products just for you. All of our PE tubing is by custom order.

  • KEY PROPERTIES

    Low water absorption – PE exhibits exceptionally low water absorption making it especially beneficial in humid or moisture-laden environments.

    Cost-effective – Aside from its mechanical and physical properties, PE has the added benefit that it is often more cost-effective than expensive or specialty polymer products for many applications.

    Chemical resistance – PE has good resistance towards many commonly encountered chemicals including (but not limited to) weak acids, aliphatic hydrocarbons, alkali solutions, organic acids, and inorganic salts. (PE is not recommended for aromatic hydrocarbons or fuel mixtures).

    Highly weldable – As a thermoplastic, many forms of PE are highly weldable; this ability makes them especially attractive when needing to bond or form connections to other plastic parts.

    Versatile – Because PE’s structure can be manipulated in multiple ways, PE is exceptionally versatile allowing it to be made into many forms, shapes, and tubings. PE can likewise be made into very stiff and rigid products or into products that are highly flexible.

    Good dielectric strength – PE possesses very good dielectric strength which is stable over a wide range of frequencies. As such, PE is an effective insulator.

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