HD-PE is the abbreviation for High Density Polyethylene and is the most frequently used thermoplastic in plastic processing. Due to its excellent resistance to oils and chemicals, HD-PE plastic is often used in thermoformed containers of all kinds. As an affordable standard plastic in thermoforming, HD-PE has relatively low strength, stiffness, and hardness, but is equipped with good elongation properties.
HD-PE plastic must be heated for a comparably long time to reach the processing temperature for thermoforming. During heating, the thermoplastic expands in surface area and shrinks back together after cooling. This presents several challenges in the processing of HD-PE thermoformed parts.
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Due to its low viscosity, HD-PE plastic is primarily thermoformed on sheet-fed machines in plastic thermoforming with the help of support air, which is intended to prevent sagging of the heated material.
On roll-fed machines, the extreme sagging can lead to regular triggering of the light barriers and machine stops. When HD-PE is thermoformed from the roll, a pre-heater and additional spreaders are used to better control the material.
The high post-shrinkage during cooling must be taken into account when creating the thermoforming tool. The goal is to design the tool so that the finished molded part achieves the desired dimensions with the shrinkage. Therefore, maintaining tolerances for thermoformed parts made with HD-PE material is critical.
HD-PE plastic is resistant to many solvents and therefore cannot be bonded. However, welding with HD-PE plastic is easily possible.
| Group | Standard Thermoplastics |
| Structure | Semi-Crystalline |
| Density | 0.95 |
| Continuous Use Temperature Min. (in °C) | -50 |
| Continuous Use Temperature Max. (in °C) | 85 |
| Thermal Expansion Transverse/Longitudinal to Flow Direction (10^-6 *K) | 120 - 150 |
| Melting Temperature (°C) | 135 |
| Max. Temp. Short-Term (°C) | 100 |
| Max. Temp. Long-Term (°C) | 90 |
| Impact Strength (KJ/m^2) | 20 |
| Abrasion Resistance | ++ |
| Yield Stress (N/mm²) | 30 |
| Tensile Strength (N/mm²) | 28 |
| Tensile Modulus of Elasticity (N/mm²) | 1100 |
| Elongation at Break (%) | 400 |
| Flexural Strength (N/mm²) | 22 |
| Ball Indentation Hardness (N/mm²) | 57 |
| Dielectric Strength (kV/mm) | 53 |
| Volume Resistivity (Ω · m) | >1E14 |
| Surface Resistivity (Ω) | >1E14 |
| Tracking Resistance CTI | 600 |
HD-PE (high-density polyethylene) is a widely used thermoplastic that is particularly resistant to oils, chemicals and moisture. HD-PE is mainly used for thermoformed containers, tubs, transport boxes, covers and industrial inlays.
