How do these designations relate to MDPE

and HDPE?
Prior to the adoption of international standards (CEN, ISO) PE pipe materials were more commonly designated by

their density within the range associated with PE i.e. Low Density PE (LDPE), Medium Density PE (MDPE) and High

Density PE (HDPE). The reference to density gave an indication of the material strength. For example HDPE pipe had a

higher long term strength or minimum required strength (MRS) than LDPE. But this gave no indication as to other

long term properties, such as slow crack growth or resistance to rapid crack propagation.

MDPE was developed in the 1970's specifically for pipes for the gas distribution market. National standards were

subsequently developed to incorporate not only strength requirements but also toughness requirements in relation to

slow crack growth. These standards were used as the model for the introduction of international standards and the

designation of PE 80.

Further developments in the 1990's saw the introduction of a higher strength, higher toughness PE. As the density of

the polymer was in the same range as the traditional HDPE confusion arose when describing or specifying the product.

A short term solution was to describe the new PE as High Performance Polyethylene (HPPE). However with the

introduction of the CEN and further development of the ISO standards the new improved PE was designated PE 100.

ifference Between HDPE and

MDPE
Categorized under Chemistry | Difference Between HDPE and MDPE
HDPE vs MDPE

HDPE and MDPE are two different categories of PE, or polyethylene. HDPE
and MDPE are differentiated and categorized into different classes on the basis of
density and branching.

Polyethylene
Polyethylene is commonly called polythene. It is a thermoplastic polymer. It is
used primarily in the packaging industry to make plastic films, plastic bags, etc.
Polyethylene is produced by combining ethane or monomer ethylene. They form
long chains chemically and are of different densities. They are classified into
different categories depending upon the branching and density. Different PEs
have different mechanical properties; these properties depend mostly on the type
of branching, extent of the branching, the molecular weight, and
the crystal structure. Some of the polythene grades are: HDPE, MDPE, LLDPE,
and LDPE.
HDPE
HDPE stands for High-Density Polyethylene. HDPE falls into the high-
density category due to its value being either 0.941g/cm3 or greater than that.
HDPE has strong intermolecular forces and high-tensile strength because of its
lower degree of branching. It is mainly manufactured by using catalysts like silica
or chromium, metallocene, or Ziegler-Natta catalysts. The branching is lowered
with the help of catalysts, and the amount of branching can be controlled by
using the appropriate catalyst. Branching is also controlled by controlling the
reaction conditions.
HDPE has excellent chemical resistance. It has high crystallinity and thus does
not dissolve easily. It is resistant to dissolving at room temperature. Because of
its characteristics, HDPE is used for manufacturing packaging products,
detergents, garbage containers, etc. HDPE has great inertness so it is easy to
assemble and has excellent strength when used in manufacturing water and
pressure pipe systems. HDPE is also used for making toys; it is believed that
almost one-third of the toys in the world are produced by using HDPE.
MDPE
MDPE stands for Medium-Density Polyethylene. MDPE falls in the medium-
density category due to its value being in the 0.926-0.940g/cm3 range. MDPE is
manufactured by using catalysts like Ziegler-Natta, chromium/silica catalysts,
and metallocene catalysts. MDPE has excellent chemical resistance and is very
stable at room temperature. It does not dissolve at room temperature.
MDPE has very good drop resistance and shock resistance. It is less sensitive and
has a higher stress-cracking resistance than HDPE. It is used for varied purposes,
but some primary usages are for gas pipes manufacturing, carrier bags, packaging
film, etc.

Summary:

1.HDPE stands for High-Density Polyethylene; MDPE stands for Medium-

Density Polyethylene.
2.HDPE has the density 0.941g/cm3 or greater; MDPE has the density in the
range of 0.926-0.940g/cm3.
3.MDPE is less sensitive than HDPE.
4.MDPE has a higher stress cracking resistance than HDPE.

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