ABSTRACT
The principal value of polyethylene lies in its desirable balance of physical properties in the solid state and its chemical inertness. These qualities in combination with its low cost and ready processability make it the material of choice for a wide variety of uses. The balance of physical properties can be controlled by judicious selection of the resin and processing parameters, thereby producing items useful in an extremely broad range of applications. In this chapter the macroscopic properties of polyethylene, with particular emphasis on commercially relevant attributes, are discussed with respect to the key molecular and morphological variables that influence them.
