Low-density polyethylene, or LDPE for short, is a type of thermoplastic made from the monomer ethylene. Because it is reasonably translucent, flexible, and durable, this type of plastic is frequently used in film applications. It's also utilized in the manufacture of various flexible bottles and lids, as well as cable and wire applications.
Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE) and High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) are the two most common types of polyethylene. The most obvious difference, apart from the scientific variations in their makeup, is their strength and weight. Low-Density Polyethylene Film is often seen in the form of cling film in households. You have likely used LDPE again and again in your kitchen when you have been covering up your left over meals at the end of the night.
But it’s not just your kitchen that uses LDPE film plastic. LDPE film is also used in agriculture, such as to preserve the freshness of strawberries, mushrooms, and tomatoes. Although LDPE is thinner than HDPE, it is occasionally used for comparable applications, including as pallet wrapping in warehouses. Because of the film's strength and transparency, it's become a popular choice for a variety of industrial applications.
What are some of the various reasons that companies and individuals use LDPE? You will find this special type of plastic all over the world and in many different venues. Some of the most common uses of LDPE are:
LDPE plastics are used for many different purposes because of many great benefits, such as their resistance to most chemicals, the impact strength, and the relatively inexpensive cost to produce them.
However, there are drawbacks to LDPE too. Some of those drawbacks include that they are not very heat resistant and they are prone to thermal expansion, which means they will grow wide and soft and weak in high temperature situations. Additionally, LDPE plastics are very low in stiffness and strength at times, which you may have seen when you have had a trash bag burst when it was full.