Polyethylene (2024)

Polyethylene is a popular choice for outdoor furniture fabric and geotextiles.

It’s a manufactured fiber made of polymerized polyethylene units. It is often a monofilament, but is also available as continuous filament yarns and as staple fiber. Polyethylene yarn cannot be dyed. It is colored by the addition of pigments and dyes to the melt at extrusion. Polyethylene can be created in several different forms. The structure is determined by the amount of branching of ethylene polymer units on the main chain. The less branching the higher the density and stronger the fiber. Typical nomenclature for polyethylene (PE) includes low density PE (LDPE), medium density PE (MDPE), high density PE (HDPE), and ultra high molecular weight PE (UHMWPE).

Polyethylene fiber properties:

Low specific gravity (floats on water)
Extremely low moisture regain
Quick drying
Mildew and insect resistant
Chemical resistant
Abrasion resistant
Sunlight resistant
Colorfast

Sample polyethylene applications:

Geotextiles
Outdoor furniture
Industrial
Filter fabric

Technical Data

Because there are many different types of polyethylene fibers, please contact our product engineers for guidance on the correct density fiber for your application. An example is below:

Tenacity (g/denier)	2.6 - 4.2
Elongation at break (%)	65.0
Shrinkage at 177°C (%)	16.5
Melting point (°F)	220 - 255
In flame	Burns slowly and melts
After flame	Continues to burn
Chemical resistance	Excellent resistance to acids and bases
Specific gravity (g/cc)	0.91
Moisture regain (%)	<1.0

Disclaimer: Values are only a guide. Actual values depend on manufacturer and exact type of yarn. Please contact our engineering team for specific values as they relate to your application.