{"id":2579,"date":"2021-02-22T09:31:42","date_gmt":"2021-02-22T09:31:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.becgroup.com\/?p=2579"},"modified":"2024-09-03T14:40:11","modified_gmt":"2024-09-03T13:40:11","slug":"material-of-the-month-ldpe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.becgroup.com\/news\/material-of-the-month-ldpe\/","title":{"rendered":"LOW-DENSITY POLYETHYLENE (LDPE)"},"content":{"rendered":"

LDPE \u2013 CHEAP PLASTIC HAS ITS PLACE<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Low-density polyethylene<\/strong>\u00a0(LDPE<\/strong>) is our thermoplastic in the spotlight this month.<\/p>\n

LDPE is a thermoplastic made from the monomer ethylene, the first grade of polyethylene, originally produced in 1933 by Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI).<\/p>\n

As with all materials, the reasons why one material is selected for one product\u2019s manufacture, can be a negative outcome for another.\u00a0 For example: LDPE\u2019s flexibility could be either a pro or a con, depending on how it\u2019s finally intended for use.<\/p>\n

LDPE has its own characteristics, if you push it, it moves, it\u2019s fairly soft, has a good chemical resistance, is easy to mould and above all, it\u2019s cheap. So, is often used for commodity mouldings.<\/p>\n

Here at BEC, our design<\/a> team carry out an incredibly thorough investigation at the start of every project. So, we go into the design for manufacture and material selection process, fully armed with information about how the end product or component is going to be used. How does it need to perform? Does it need to withstand any chemical, environmental or repetitive applications?<\/p>\n

We can then propose the most suitable materials, so the end product meets its requirements.<\/p>\n

Just like many others, LDPE sample swatches or mouldings can be supplied for evaluation and testing.\u00a0 And because material selection is such a critical part of the process, we keep a comprehensive range of materials for trialling. With two mould shops on-site<\/a>, sample mouldings can usually be carried out quickly, speeding up the verification process.<\/p>\n

Pros<\/strong><\/p>\n