Wear resistant.
Chemical inert.
Ultra-tough.

Molecular weight: UHMWPE is 3-6 million g/mol vs HDPE at 250,000. Properties: UHMWPE is much tougher, more wear-resistant, impact-proof, self-lubricating. Cost: UHMWPE is 3-5× HDPE price. For standard chemical/food/container applications: HDPE. For wear-critical or impact-critical applications: UHMWPE. For orthopedic implants: medical-grade UHMWPE specifically.

UHMWPE is soft (cuts well) but gummy (chips don't break cleanly). Solutions: very sharp tools (constantly maintained), high cutting speeds, chip breakers on tools, compressed-air chip evacuation. Tolerance ±0.1 mm typical. For tighter tolerance UHMWPE parts, slower careful machining and chilling techniques improve dimensional control.

Yes — medical-grade UHMWPE is standard material for orthopedic joint replacement bearings. Knee and hip replacement components: titanium or CoCr metal + UHMWPE bearing + polyethylene spacer. UHMWPE handles the wear, metal provides strength, assembly lasts 15-25 years in body. Specialty grade with gamma-sterilization and specific molecular weight distribution required.

Polyethylene surface has very low surface energy — nothing wants to stick to it. Adhesives bead up, paint beads up. Mitigation: flame treatment (brief propane flame pass raises surface energy), corona treatment (plasma treatment), chemical etching. These increase surface energy temporarily (hours to days). For permanent bonding, mechanical fastening or hot-gas welding preferred.

LDPE: 60-70 °C. HDPE: 80 °C continuous. UHMWPE: 80 °C continuous. Peak short-term: 110 °C all grades. For higher temperature plastic: use PP (100 °C) or specialty PE grades (cross-linked PEX up to 90 °C). For above 120 °C, different plastic family entirely.

HDPE/UHMWPE sheet: standard sizes up to 1500 × 3000 mm, thicknesses 3-100 mm. In stock for standard thicknesses, 1-2 week lead time for specialty. Machining: easy and fast. Typical PE orders ship 7-10 days. Cost-effective in high volume — $3-5/kg HDPE, $10-15/kg UHMWPE raw material.