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Polyethylene was first synthesized by the German chemist Hans von Pechmann, who prepared it by accident in 1898 while heating diazomethane. Polyethylene was again discovered accidentally in Britain in 1932. In 1935, the reaction was tried, but since they only had the ethanol part in it, it leaked everywhere. To make it stop leaking they finally discovered they had to put oxygen in it. This was the first time they produced this in a factory. Polyethylene is made from the monomer ethylene, which is also called ethene. It is made up like vinyl monomers, which is small molecules containing carbon-carbon double bonds (as seen below). Polyethylene is only made up of a chain of carbon atoms and two oxygen atoms attached to each carbon atom. Polyethylene is cheap, flexible, durable, and chemically resistant it is can be found in crude oil and natural gas. Production of polyethylene is responsible for most of our annual consumption of ethylene. Polyethylene is classified into several different categories based mostly on its density and branching These branches are, ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) ultra low molecular weight polyethylene (ULMWPE - PE-WAX), high molecular weight polyethylene (HMWPE), high density polyethylene (HDPE), high density cross-linked polyethylene (HDXLPE), cross-linked polyethylene (PEX), medium density polyethylene (MDPE), low density polyethylene (LDPE), linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE), and very low density polyethylene (VLDPE). It is also grouped into two groups, low density and high density. The two principal gases are ethylene and propylene. Ethylene is the principal raw material for making polyethylene (PE) and ethylene copolymer resins; and propylene is the main ingredient for making polypropylene (PP) and propylene copolymer resins. Everyday people encounter polyethylene a number of times. Blue Ridge Farms and Ultra-Poly Corporation are big producers of polyethylene and also the Dow Chemical Company is one of the biggest global suppliers of polyethylene. Polyethylene is also the most popular type of plastic and is used to make a number of things. For example, it makes up grocery bags, rubber bands, toys, bottles, like bottled water, pipes, and even bullet proof vests. Also, it is used for containers, electrical insulation, and packaging. Since polyethylene is a plastic, you have to recycle it. However recycling is becoming a problem with the marine environment. Plastics are usually found on the surface of the water but become a problem when things are still on, or in, the plastic and ends up sinking. This also becomes a problem for the sea creatures because they mistake it for others things they eat and just eat the plastic, which can’t be good for them. Japanese scientists are testing to see if chemicals and other products on the plastic go down and affect the creatures, but so far they say it is only staying on top of the surface and not reaching the creatures unless they come up to the surface and ea it. Now plastic is becoming an issue in some towns. Some towns even banned from having plastics, or polyethylene, any where in the town. (an example of what polyethylene produces.)

Sources-- [|http://pslc.ws/macrog/pe.htm [|http://pslc.ws/macrog/vinyl.htm [|http://faculty.washington.edu/finlayso/Polyeth/Group_F/what.html [|http://www.personal.rdg.ac.uk/~spsolley/pe.html [|http://plastics.dow.com/about/polyethylene.htm