Editing Polyethylene (section)

{{Short description|Most common thermoplastic polymer}}
{{About|the plastic|the Radiohead song|Polyethylene (Parts 1 & 2)}}
{{Redirect|Polythene|the Feeder album|Polythene (album)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}}
{{Chembox
| Name = 
| ImageFile = Polyethylene_repeat_unit.svg
| ImageFile_Ref = {{chemboximage|correct|??}}
| ImageSize = 100
| ImageName = Skeletal formula of a ris monomer
| ImageClass = skin-invert-image
| ImageFile1 = Polyethylene-3D-vdW.png
| ImageFile1_Ref = {{chemboximage|correct|??}}
| ImageName1 = Spacefill model of polyethylene
| ImageClass1 = bg-transparent
| ImageFile2 = Polyethylene balls1.jpg
| ImageFile2_Ref = {{chemboximage|correct|??}}
| ImageName2 = Sample of granulated polyethylene
| IUPACName = Polyethene or poly(methylene)<ref>{{cite book |title=Compendium of Polymer Terminology and Nomenclature – IUPAC Recommendations 2008 |url=https://www.iupac.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Compendium-of-Polymer-Terminology-and-Nomenclature-IUPAC-Recommendations-2008.pdf |access-date=2018-08-28 }}</ref>
| OtherNames = Polyethylene<br />Polythene
| SystematicName = 
| Section1 = {{Chembox Identifiers
| Abbreviations = PE
| CASNo = 9002-88-4
| CASNo_Ref = {{cascite|correct|CAS}}
| UNII_Ref = {{fdacite|correct|FDA}}
| UNII = 3W404QE89S
| KEGG = C19503
| KEGG_Ref = {{keggcite|correct|kegg}}
| MeSHName = Polyethylene
| ChemSpiderID = none
| PubChem = 6325
}}
| Section2 = {{Chembox Properties
| Formula = (C<sub>2</sub>H<sub>4</sub>)<sub>''n''</sub>
| MolarMass =
| Appearance =
| Odor =
| Density = 0.88–0.96&nbsp;g/cm<sup>3</sup><ref name="kamalbatra111">{{cite book |last=Batra |first=Kamal |title=Role of Additives in Linear Low Density Polyethylene (LLDPE) Films |url=http://www.slideshare.net/kamalbatra111/polyethylene-pe |access-date=16 September 2014 |year=2014 |page=9}}</ref>
| MeltingPtC = 115–135
| MeltingPt_ref = <ref name="kamalbatra111" /> 
| ThermalConductivity =
| BoilingPtC =
| Solubility = Not soluble
| Solvent1 =
| Solubility1 =
| Solvent2 =
| Solubility2 =
| VaporPressure =
| pKa =
| RefractIndex =
| MagSus = −9.67×10<sup>−6</sup> ([[High-density polyethylene|HDPE]], SI, 22&nbsp;°C)<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Wapler |first1=M. C. |last2=Leupold |first2=J. |last3=Dragonu |first3=I. |last4=von Elverfeldt |first4=D. |last5=Zaitsev |first5=M. |last6=Wallrabe |first6=U. |title=Magnetic properties of materials for MR engineering, micro-MR and beyond |journal=JMR |date=2014 |volume=242 |pages=233–242 |doi=10.1016/j.jmr.2014.02.005 |pmid=24705364 |arxiv=1403.4760 |bibcode=2014JMagR.242..233W |s2cid=11545416}}</ref>
| LogP = 1.02620<ref name="chemsrc">{{Cite web |url=https://www.chemsrc.com/en/cas/9002-88-4_1088896.html |title=poly(ethylene) |website=ChemSrc}}</ref>
 }}
| Section3 = 
| Section4 = {{Chembox Thermochemistry
| Thermochemistry_ref =
| HeatCapacity = 
| Entropy = 
| DeltaHform = −28 to −29 kJ/mol<ref name=NBS>{{cite journal |last1=Paul L. Splitstone and Walter H. Johnson |title=The Enthalpies of Combustion and Formation of Linear Polyethylene |journal=Journal of Research of the National Bureau of Standards |date=May 20, 1974 |url=https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/jres/78A/jresv78An5p611_A1b.pdf}}</ref>
| DeltaGfree = 
| DeltaHcombust =
| DeltaHfus =
| DeltaHvap =
| DeltaHsublim =
| HHV = 650–651 kJ/mol, 46 MJ/kg<ref name=NBS/>
| LHV =
 }}
| Section5 = 
| Section6 = 
}}
[[File:Polyethylene-repeat-2D.png|thumb|140px|The repeating unit within polyethylene in the most stable<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/S2043-052320230000019004/full/html |title=Challenges of Reducing Polythene and Plastic in Sri Lanka: A Case Study of Attanagalla Secretariat Division |first1=G. P. T. S. |last1=Hemakumara |first2=T. G. Shamal |last2=Madhusankha |journal=Socially Responsible Plastic |series=Developments in Corporate Governance and Responsibility |volume=19 |date=2023 |pages=59–73 |doi=10.1108/S2043-052320230000019004|isbn=978-1-80455-987-1 |url-access=subscription }}</ref> [[staggered conformation]]]]
{{Fibre sidebar}}
'''Polyethylene''' or '''polythene''' (abbreviated '''PE'''; [[IUPAC]] name '''polyethene''' or '''poly(methylene)''') is the most commonly produced [[plastic]].<ref name="Ullmann"/> It is a [[polymer]], primarily used for [[packaging]] ([[plastic bag]]s, [[plastic film]]s, [[geomembranes]] and containers including [[bottle]]s, [[cup]]s, [[jar]]s, etc.). {{As of|2017}}, over 100 million [[tonne]]s of polyethylene [[resin]]s are being produced annually, accounting for 34% of the total plastics market.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Geyer |first1=Roland |last2=Jambeck |first2=Jenna R. |author-link2=Jenna Jambeck |last3=Law |first3=Kara Lavender |date=2017-07-01 |title=Production, use, and fate of all plastics ever made |journal=Science Advances |volume=3 |issue=7 |pages=e1700782 |doi=10.1126/sciadv.1700782 |pmid=28776036 |pmc=5517107 |bibcode=2017SciA....3E0782G}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.plasticseurope.org/application/files/5715/1717/4180/Plastics_the_facts_2017_FINAL_for_website_one_page.pdf |title=Plastics: The Facts |website=Plastics Europe |access-date=2018-08-29 |archive-date=4 February 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180204170326/https://www.plasticseurope.org/application/files/5715/1717/4180/Plastics_the_facts_2017_FINAL_for_website_one_page.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Many kinds of polyethylene are known, with most having the [[chemical formula]] (C<sub>2</sub>H<sub>4</sub>)<sub>''n''</sub>. PE is usually a mixture of similar [[polymer]]s of [[ethylene]], with various values of ''n''. It can be ''low-density'' or ''high-density'' and many variations thereof.  Its properties can be modified further by crosslinking or copolymerization.  All forms are nontoxic as well as chemically resilient, contributing to polyethylene's popularity as a multi-use plastic. However, polyethylene's chemical resilience also makes it a long-lived and decomposition-resistant pollutant when disposed of improperly.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Yao |first1=Zhuang |last2=Jeong Seong |first2=Hyeon |last3=Jang |first3=Yu-Sin |title=Environmental toxicity and decomposition of polyethylene |journal=  Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety|date=2022 |volume=242 |pages=1, 3 |doi=10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.113933|pmid=35930840 |doi-access=free |bibcode=2022EcoES.24213933Y }}</ref> Being a [[hydrocarbon]], polyethylene is colorless to opaque (without impurities or colorants) and combustible.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Sepe |first1=Michael |title=Understanding the 'Science' of Color |url=https://www.ptonline.com/articles/understanding-the-science-of-color |website=Plastics Technology |date=8 April 2024 |access-date=April 25, 2024}}</ref> 
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