High-Density Polyethylene, sometimes known as HDPE, is a flexible plastic polymer that may be used for various purposes.
As the name indicates, high-density polyethylene has a somewhat greater specific density than low-density polyethylene. The absence of branching gives HDPE its unique physical characteristics, making it light and with high tensile strength. HDPE is a linear polymer since there are no branches and the structure is more densely packed. Utilizing specific catalysts throughout manufacture will regulate and decrease branching.
Applications and Qualities of HDPE
Given its various benefits, HDPE is crucial in the production of a variety of goods. With a specific gravity of 0.95, HDPE has a comparably high density compared to other polymers. In addition, despite being somewhat brittle and impact-resistant, HDPE can withstand temperatures of up to 120 C without experiencing any adverse effects.
Although LDPE plastic film scrap cannot be autoclaved, it may be identified by its opaque or translucent appearance.
Because of its durability and strength, HDPE is ideal for making heavy-duty containers. It is also often used to produce HDPE bottle scrap, shampoo, bleach, and motor oil bottles. In addition, HDPE is a suitable barrier material for liquid containers since it does not absorb liquid quickly. These containers consume nearly a third (eight million tons) of the HDPE manufactured globally.
Additionally, pet bottle flake plastic scrap is chemical resistant, accounting for its extensive usage in the lab and hospital settings. Therefore, numerous acids, alcohols, aldehydes, esters, bases, and oils won’t harm it.
Other applications for HDPE include:
- grocery bags made of plastic
- Trays
- Tanks
- containers for food (HDPE is approved for contact with food by many food advisory boards)
- Pipe connections
- Hinges
- HDPE bottle scrap
- chopping blocks
- Put on plates
Recyclable HDPE
Given that HDPE is one of the most easily recycled plastic polymers, it is accepted by the majority of recycling facilities worldwide. The majority of recycling businesses will gather HDPE drum scrap goods and transport them to sizable facilities for processing. The plastic is sorted and cleaned first to get rid of undesired particles. After that, the plastic must be homogenized so only HDPE scrap may be used. The finished recycled product may be ruined if the batch contains additional plastic polymers.
The specific density of HDPE ranges from 0.93 to 0.97 g/cm3. This is much less than PET, which has a density of 1.43–1.45 g/cm3, indicating that sink–float separation may be used to separate these plastic polymers. However, HDPE has a particular density comparable to PP; therefore, the sink-float separation method cannot be used. Instead, if the plastic isn’t too dark and doesn’t absorb the infrared waves, near-infrared radiation (NIR) approaches may be used in this situation.
The polymer is then further refined by shredding and melting HDPE drum scrap. After cooling, the plastic is formed into pellets that may be used in manufacturing. The usage of a baler, which may compress post-consumer trash to save the energy consumed in transit, can also assist recycling operations.
HDPE scrap recycling may also be done in small doses at home. Milk bottles, for example, are readily reusable if thoroughly cleaned beforehand. Purchasing plastic bottles in bulk is another excellent choice for minimizing packaging waste. Carrier bags may also be used again after a shopping trip. Additionally, many big supermarkets have recycling pickup stations for discarded carrier bags. Some plastic films have a warning not to be left “kerbside” and recycled at the grocery store with carrier bags.
The resin code on the product, which is an arbitrary number provided to various plastic polymers to assist distinguish plastics at the recycling stage, aids in recycling HDPE trash. For example, high-density polyethylene’s resin identification code is “2.”
The Environmental Advantages of HDPE Scrap Recycling
HDPE scrap has a sizable global market with an annual market volume of over 30 million tons. Reusable canvas bags and the use of biodegradable materials have helped to decrease the quantity of HDPE milk bottle scrap used in plastic bags by around 70% over the past 20 years, although HDPE still makes up the bulk of bags.
Due to the fact that HDPE garbage is not biodegradable and may take hundreds of years to disintegrate, these containers and bags must be recycled and reused. However, there are several benefits that come with recycling HDPE milk bottle scrap. For example, the cost of generating a product using recycled HDPE waste is lower than the cost of producing plastic, which is referred to as “virgin.”
LDPE plastic film scrap production requires a substantial number of fossil fuels, much like other types of plastic polymers; 1.75 kilograms of oil are needed to produce only one kilogram of HDPE. Recycled high-density polyethylene (HDPE) may be repurposed into a wide range of new products, such as rope, toys, pipelines, recycling bins, and garbage cans.
