Polyethylene it's a kind of polymer which is widely used in the manufacture of containers, bags, to cover cables, to make containers and in pipes, among others. It is one of the most common and used plastics in the world, especially because of the low cost it represents..
Meanwhile, polymers are macromolecules that are made up of the union of smaller molecules called monomers. Meanwhile, polymers can be natural, such is the case of DNA, silk, starch and cellulose, or failing that, synthetic, such as nylon, bakelite and polyethylene, which is the polymer that we will deal with. continuation.
The polymer is obtained from a chemical process known as polymerization and the chemical compound ethylene.
It should be noted that depending on the type of polymerization that is carried out, various species of polyethylene can be achieved.
Meanwhile, during its creation process it is possible to add different substances to the polyethylene so that the final product enjoys certain properties. One of the most common turns out to be to give it a different color to the one it naturally has, which is translucent in its first stage.
On the other hand, different additives can be added that will turn it into an antibacterial, flame retardant and antioxidant substance.
Polyethylene was first synthesized towards the end of the 19th century, in 1898, by the German chemist Hans von Pechmann, accidentally. In the 1930s, two English scientists synthesized it in the form we know it today.
As we pointed out lines above, polyethylene is widely used and especially it is used to make the plastic bags that we normally get with the purchase of a product in supermarkets or other stores. However, they turn out to be a very serious problem for the environment since the material, as it is not biodegradable, pollutes our planet if they are not thrown in a prepared place. There are many, many years it will take for a polyethylene bag to degrade.
The solution to this problem is the biopolyethylene that is obtained from beets, sugar cane or wheat and as such can be recycled.
