HDPE
Density of HDPE
955 kg/m³ (940–970)
0.95 g/cm³ · 59.6 lb/ft³
The blue and yellow pipe under every modern street: it is welded rather than jointed, so a run has no leak paths, and it flexes with ground movement instead of cracking like the cast iron it replaced. It also floats, is unaffected by almost every household chemical, and is self-lubricating enough to be used as low-load bearing material. Like polypropylene it will not take glue or paint; the only reliable joining method is heat welding.
Properties
- Density
- 955 kg/m³ (940–970) — 0.95 g/cm³
- Melting range
- 125–135 °C
- Tensile strength
- 20–37 MPa
- Young's modulus
- 1 GPa
- Thermal conductivity
- 0.45 W/(m·K)
- Thermal expansion
- 120 µm/(m·K)
- Floats in water
- Yes
- Magnetic
- No
What it is used for
- Milk bottles and detergent containers
- Water and gas mains pipe
- Chopping boards and playground furniture
- Chemical storage tanks
How it compares
Water is 1,000 kg/m³. Anything with a shorter bar than water floats in it.
air 1.2 kg/m³
expanded polystyrene foam 20 kg/m³
rigid polyurethane foam 40 kg/m³
HDPE 955 kg/m³
Water — the float line 1,000 kg/m³
tungsten 19,250 kg/m³
gold 19,300 kg/m³
platinum 21,450 kg/m³
| Material | Density | Relative to water |
|---|---|---|
| rigid polyurethane foam | 40 kg/m³ | 0.04× |
| expanded polystyrene foam | 20 kg/m³ | 0.02× |
| air | 1.2 kg/m³ | 0.00× |
| HDPE ← | 955 kg/m³ | 0.95× |
| platinum | 21,450 kg/m³ | 21.45× |
| gold | 19,300 kg/m³ | 19.30× |
| tungsten | 19,250 kg/m³ | 19.25× |
Does it rust?
HDPE contains no iron, so it cannot rust. Whether it degrades depends on the material, not on oxidation.
Is it magnetic?
HDPE is not a metal and has no ferromagnetic response.
Common questions
- What is the density of HDPE?
- 955 kg/m³ (940–970), or 0.95 g/cm³.
- Does HDPE float?
- Yes. At 955 kg/m³ it is less dense than water's 1,000.
- Is HDPE magnetic?
- HDPE is not a metal and has no ferromagnetic response.
Related pages
- Does HDPE float? Yes
- PLA 1,240 kg/m³
- ABS 1,050 kg/m³
- Acrylic (PMMA) 1,180 kg/m³
- Polycarbonate 1,200 kg/m³
- Polypropylene 905 kg/m³
- PTFE 2,170 kg/m³
- Rigid PVC 1,400 kg/m³
- Epoxy resin 1,150 kg/m³
Sources
- Typical range compiled from manufacturer specifications — At One Place