| Polythene Bags are manufactured from a | | | | The polymer in the United Kingdom is commonly |
| thermoplastic commodity used heavily in | | | | called polythene, although that is not recognised |
| consumer products especially the plastic shopping | | | | scientifically. Polyethylene is created through |
| bag. Over 60 million tons of the polythene is | | | | polymerization of ethene. It can be produced by |
| manufactured worldwide each year. | | | | radical polymerization, anionic addition |
| Polyethylene is a polymer consisting of long chains | | | | polymerization, ion coordination polymerization or |
| of the monomer ethylene. The scientific name for | | | | cationic addition polymerization. This is because |
| polyethene is derived from the scientific name of | | | | ethene does not have any substituent groups |
| the monomer. It is useful in certain circumstances | | | | that influence the stability of the propagation head |
| to use a structure–based nomenclature. In | | | | of the polymer. Each of these methods results in |
| such cases IUPAC recommends poly(methylene). | | | | a different type of polyethylene. Polyethylene is |
| The difference is because of the opening up of | | | | classified into several categories mostly based on |
| the monomer's double bond upon polymerisation. | | | | its branching and density. The mechanical |
| In the polymer industry the name is sometimes | | | | properties of PE depend significantly on variables |
| shortened to PE in the same way that other | | | | such as the extent and type of branching, the |
| polymers like polypropylene and polystyrene are | | | | crystal structure and the molecular weight. |
| shortened to PP and PS. | | | | |