Polyethylene pipe is a common hose used in labs and for transporting water. It can be made in different densities, with LDPE being flexible and HDPE resisting sterilization and chemicals. Polyethylene is widely used in consumer products and has many other applications, including in implants and bulletproof vests.
Polyethylene pipe is a type of hose commonly used in laboratories, as well as for transporting water, including potable water. Its main component, polyethylene, is a polymer chain composed of ethylene molecules, made up of carbon and hydrogen. It can be made in different densities depending on how it will be used. Polyethylene is the most used plastic in the world.
There are two common categories of polyethylene pipes: low density and high density. Polyethylene pipes are considered low density if they weigh between 0.0814 ounces and 0.0839 ounces per cubic inch (0.91 and 0.94 grams per cubic centimeter). Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE) has the advantage of being very flexible and highly resistant to cracking. It can also be used in a wide range of temperatures. Many types of it are approved for use with potable water and other food handling applications.
High-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipes are defined by a density greater than 0.084 ounces per cubic inch (0.941 grams per cubic centimeter). It is not as flexible as LDPE, but resists sterilization by boiling. This can be a major benefit, especially when used for food handling. HDPE tubing also resists corrosive chemicals better than LDPE, making it the preferred choice for scientific applications.
Polyethylene is a compound that does not occur in nature, so it must be synthesized in the laboratory or in an industrial environment. For this reason, its wide use has been limited to the 20th century and beyond. The first person to synthesize polyethylene was the German chemist Hans von Pechmann in the 20th. Many other scientists were able to produce it under laboratory conditions in the following decades. Only in 1898 was a practical method of producing polyethylene on a large scale invented.
Polyethylene as a compound actually has many more uses than as a component of polyethylene pipes. It is also used extensively in a number of consumer products including milk cartons, grocery bags, shrink wrap and trash containers, to name a few. Some types of polyethylene have a very high molecular weight, resulting in a very stiff material. It’s strong enough for use in bulletproof vests and butcher’s boards. Yet, it is also chemically inert enough to form parts of the implants used in hip and knee replacements.
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