MARKET RESEARCH

Polyethylene is widely used in a variety of applications including packaging, medical, consumer goods, and insulation. It is a thermoplastic processed at a temperature ranging from 150 to 200  0 C. Like all thermoplastics, polyethylene begins to flow above its melting point and loses its useful mechanical properties which limits its operation at high temperatures. It is cross-linked so as to change its nature from thermoplastic to thermoset and form a more temperature-resistant plastic with improved mechanical strength. Important forms of polyethylene include low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polyolefinic elastomer (POE), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), ethyl vinyl acetate (EVA), and linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE). Cross-linking of polyethylene can be carried out through either physical or chemical means. In the chemical process, free radicals are generated via chemical reactions while in the physical one, they are generated through irradiation. In cross-linked polyethy...