HDPE
ASTM D1248 Type III · ISO PE-HD · also Hostalen, Lupolen
HDPE is a linear, low-branching semi-crystalline polyethylene (about 0.95 g/cm³) with excellent chemical resistance, near-zero water absorption, low friction and excellent heat-fusion weldability.
HDPE grades and fills
HDPE is supplied in 12 conditions, soft to hard.
Compare all 12 grades and fillsHide
| Grade · open for datasheet | Best for | Yield MPa | Tensile MPa | Elong. % | Hardness |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FR V-0 | Use where UL 94 V-0 or low-smoke behaviour is required in cable ducts, mine liners and enclosures; heavily filled, so strength and ductility drop sharply. | 15 | 16 | 30 | 68 Shore D |
Antistatic / conductive carbon-black compound | Specify for fuel-handling parts, powder chutes and electronics handling where charge build-up must be dissipated. | 22 | 24 | 60 | 67 Shore D |
Post-consumer recycled HDPE | Recycled bottle/crate regrind for non-critical mouldings, pipes and lumber; property spread is wide and colour is limited to dark shades. | 22 | 23 | 200 | |
High molecular weight HDPE | Higher-Mw ram-extruded sheet for chute liners, tanks and wear parts; much better impact and ESCR than standard HDPE, slightly lower stiffness. | 23 | 24 | 800 | 63 Shore D |
40% talc/calcium-carbonate mineral filled | Low-cost stiffened compound for crates, pipe fittings and automotive parts; higher modulus and HDT, lower impact and higher density. | 23 | 24 | 20 | |
Blow moulding grade | Low-flow bimodal resin for bottles, drums and IBCs where melt strength and stress-crack resistance dominate. | 24 | 26 | 700 | 63 Shore D |
Bimodal black pressure-pipe grade | Use for buried gas/water pressure pipe and fittings needing 50-year MRS 10 MPa rating and slow-crack-growth resistance. | 24 | 25 | 700 | |
natural, unreinforced HDPE | Standard natural/white HDPE resin, sheet or machined part where chemical resistance and toughness matter more than stiffness. | 26 | 28 | 600 | 65 Shore D |
Injection moulding grade | High-flow, lower-molecular-weight resin for thin-wall caps, crates and housings; fast cycles but lower ESCR and impact. | 28 | 29 | 300 | 66 Shore D |
20% Glass Fiber | HDPE compound with 20% coupled short glass fiber — roughly triples stiffness and doubles heat-deflection temperature versus unfilled HDPE, at the cost of ductility. | 50 | 55 | 3 | 70 Shore D |
30% glass fiber reinforced HDPE | Coupled glass-filled compound for structural housings and pallets needing 4–5× stiffness and much lower creep/shrinkage; loses ductility and weldability. | 55 | 3 | 72 Shore D | |
40% Glass Fiber | Highly reinforced HDPE with 40% coupled short glass fiber — maximum stiffness, strength and dimensional stability in the PE family, used for structural and under-hood-type mouldings. | 78 | 80 | 2 | 73 Shore D |
Supply forms, finishes and certifications
Ways HDPE is supplied — form, process route, surface or paperwork — without a datasheet of their own. The property values above apply.
| Option | What it is | Type |
|---|---|---|
FDA CompliantDefault | Food-contact / potable-water grade | Certification |
UV Stabilized | Carbon black / HALS stabilized | Grade option |
What is HDPE?
HDPE is a linear, low-branching semi-crystalline polyethylene (about 0.95 g/cm³) with excellent chemical resistance, near-zero water absorption, low friction and excellent heat-fusion weldability. It is standard for pressure pipe, blow-moulded containers, sheet and machined parts, with 26 MPa yield, 28 MPa tensile and 600% elongation. Stiffness and strength are moderate (tensile yield 25–30 MPa), continuous service tops out near 80 °C, unpigmented grades weather poorly and stress-crack (ESCR improves with molecular weight), and the non-polar surface needs corona or flame treatment before bonding or printing. UHMW-PE is the alternative for wear parts. HDPE has a density of 0.96 g/cm³ (0.0345 lb/in³), lighter than 74% of polymer grades. Its glass-transition temperature is -110°C (-166 °F). HDPE has a yield strength of 26 MPa (3.77 ksi) and a tensile strength of 28 MPa (4.06 ksi) — weaker than 72% of polymer grades. Elongation at break is 600% and the elastic modulus is 1.1 GPa (0.16 Msi).
What is HDPE used for?
- Cutting boards and food-contact surfaces
- PE100 pressure pipe and fittings
- Chemical and water storage tanks
- Blow-moulded bottles and jerricans
- Playground equipment panels
- Conveyor wear strips and guides
- Machined jigs and fixture blocks
Advantages
- Readily welded — 95/100, better than 99% of polymer grades
- Conducts heat well — 0.48 W/m·K (0.277 BTU/hr·ft·°F), better than 97% of polymer grades
- Low moisture uptake — 0.01%, better than 97% of polymer grades
- Low embodied carbon — 2 kg CO₂/kg, better than 96% of polymer grades
- Ductile — tolerates forming and impact — 600%, better than 93% of polymer grades
Limitations
- Hard to polish — 30/100, worse than 82% of polymer grades
- High mold shrinkage — 2%, worse than 81% of polymer grades
- Degrades in UV without stabilisers — 25/100, worse than 76% of polymer grades
HDPE properties
Typical room-temperature values in the FDA Compliant condition; bars are the position among polymer grades.
Physical6
HDPE has a density of 0.96 g/cm³ (0.0345 lb/in³), lighter than 74% of polymer grades. Its glass-transition temperature is -110°C (-166 °F).
Mechanical16
HDPE has a yield strength of 26 MPa (3.77 ksi) and a tensile strength of 28 MPa (4.06 ksi) — weaker than 72% of polymer grades. Elongation at break is 600% and the elastic modulus is 1.1 GPa (0.16 Msi).
Thermal11
HDPE is rated for continuous service to 80°C (176 °F). It conducts heat at 0.48 W/m·K (0.277 BTU/hr·ft·°F), better than 97% of polymer grades. Thermal expansion is 150 µm/m·K (83.3 µin/in·°F).
Electrical7
HDPE is an electrical insulator with a dielectric strength of 24 kV/mm (609.6 V/mil) and a resistivity of 1×10¹⁴ Ω·m.
Chemical & Environmental3
Corrosion resistance is excellent (90/100), better than 82% of polymer grades. UV resistance is poor.
Sustainability4
Producing a kilogram of HDPE takes about 78 MJ of energy and emits 2 kg of CO₂ — less than 88% of polymer grades. Typical recycled content is 10%.
Manufacturability8
HDPE's machinability is very good (75/100, better than 78% of polymer grades); weldability excellent (95/100); formability very good (70/100).
Common Calculations5
Values are nominal handbook figures for design screening. Certified mill or lot data ships with every FabDigit order on request.
Strength versus weight in the polymer family
Yield strength against density for every polymer grade FabDigit runs. HDPE is highlighted; hover a dot for its name, or open the interactive family chart.
Working with HDPE
Is HDPE easy to machine?
Cuts easily with sharp, high-rake, polished tools and high speed/low feed; use air blast and generous support since heat build-up and low modulus cause gumming, burrs and part distortion.
Can HDPE be welded?
Excellent hot-plate, butt-fusion, electrofusion, hot-gas and extrusion welding (DVS 2207); adhesive bonding requires corona, flame or plasma pre-treatment.
Can HDPE be formed, bent or molded?
Injection, blow, rotational and profile extrusion all standard; melt 200–260 °C, mould 20–60 °C, allow 1.5–3% shrinkage with strong anisotropy and post-mould shrink over 24 h.
Manufacturability
The process limits FabDigit's quote engine applies to HDPE. Design inside these and the part quotes instantly; outside them it routes to an engineer.
CNC machining
| Machinability | Better75 / 100 |
|---|---|
| ISO material group | N.8 |
| Cutting speed (rough / finish) | 400 / 500 m/min |
| Minimum wall | 0.5 mm |
| Minimum internal radius | 1 mm |
| Drill depth limit | 10× diameter |
| Best surface (machined / polished) | Ra 0.8 / — |
| Hardenable after machining | No |
Sheet metal
| Formability | Excellent70 / 100 |
|---|---|
| Weldability | Fair95 / 100 |
Injection molding
| Mold shrinkage | — |
|---|---|
| Wall thickness | — – — |
| Recommended draft | — |
| Pre-drying | — |
HDPE chemical composition (wt %)
Limits by weight percent from the governing specification, written the way the spec states them — a single maximum for impurities, a range for alloying elements, and the base element as balance. Nominal is the typical mid-range value.
| Element | Spec limit (wt %) | Nominal |
|---|---|---|
| 1-butene / 1-hexene comonomershort-chain branching to tune density and ESCR | 0 – 2 | 0.5 |
| antioxidant / process stabilizerhindered phenol + phosphite | 0.05 – 0.5 | 0.2 |
| carbon black2.0–2.5% only in UV-stabilized / pipe grades | 0 – 2.5 | 0 |
| ethylene (polyethylene chain)linear homopolymer backbone | ≥ 97 (balance) |
What surface finishes work on HDPE?
Cannot be plated or anodized and holds paint poorly; use in-resin colour, laser marking, hot stamping or corona-treated printing, and flame-polish or scrape edges for smooth finishes.
Surface treatments FabDigit runs on polymer parts — pick them in the quote configurator or call them out on the drawing. Each links to its datasheet in the surface-finish library (thickness, specs, call-out, material verdicts).
Injection Molding Coating
Organic Coating
Metallization / Functional
Equivalent designations
Standards and trade names that resolve to HDPE in FabDigit's catalog. Equivalence is nominal — check the exact specification when certification matters.
- ASTM
- D1248 Type III
- ISO
- PE-HD
- Trade names
- HostalenLupolenSclair
- Also called
- High Density Polyethylene
How much does HDPE cost?
HDPE is a budget-cost polymer ($), cheaper than about 99% of the materials FabDigit quotes. Part price depends far more on geometry, tolerance and quantity than on the raw stock — upload a CAD file for a live quote.
HDPE — frequently asked
What is HDPE used for?
HDPE is typically used for cutting boards and food-contact surfaces, PE100 pressure pipe and fittings, chemical and water storage tanks, blow-moulded bottles and jerricans, playground equipment panels and conveyor wear strips and guides. In short: chemical resistant; budget.
What is the yield strength of HDPE?
HDPE has a typical yield strength of 26 MPa (3.77 ksi) and a tensile strength of 28 MPa (4.06 ksi) — weaker than 72% of polymer grades. Strength varies by condition: see the 12 listed tempers.
Is HDPE easy to machine?
Yes — machinability is rated very good (75/100, better than 78% of polymer grades). Cuts easily with sharp, high-rake, polished tools and high speed/low feed; use air blast and generous support since heat build-up and low modulus cause gumming, burrs and part distortion.
Can HDPE be welded?
Yes — weldability is rated excellent (95/100). Excellent hot-plate, butt-fusion, electrofusion, hot-gas and extrusion welding (DVS 2207); adhesive bonding requires corona, flame or plasma pre-treatment.
What surface finishes work on HDPE?
Cannot be plated or anodized and holds paint poorly; use in-resin colour, laser marking, hot stamping or corona-treated printing, and flame-polish or scrape edges for smooth finishes.
Can HDPE be formed, bent or molded?
Injection, blow, rotational and profile extrusion all standard; melt 200–260 °C, mould 20–60 °C, allow 1.5–3% shrinkage with strong anisotropy and post-mould shrink over 24 h.
What is the maximum service temperature of HDPE?
HDPE is rated for continuous use to about 80°C (176 °F), and briefly to 110°C. Strength falls off well before that limit — check the elevated-temperature data for load-bearing parts.
How much does HDPE cost?
HDPE is a budget-cost polymer ($), cheaper than about 99% of the materials FabDigit quotes. Part price depends far more on geometry, tolerance and quantity than on the raw stock — upload a CAD file for a live quote.
Can FabDigit make parts in HDPE?
Yes — HDPE is available for CNC machining, sheet metal and injection molding with instant online pricing. Upload a STEP file to get a price and a DFM check.
Sources
- ASTM D4976 — Standard Specification for Polyethylene Plastics Molding and Extrusion Materials — ASTM International (2020)
- ISO 1872-1/-2 — Plastics: Polyethylene (PE) moulding and extrusion materials — ISO (2015)
- Engineered Materials Handbook Vol. 2 — Engineering Plastics — ASM International (1988)
- CAMPUS Plastics — HDPE datasheets (ISO 10350 property set) — CAMPUS Consortium (2024)
- Hostalen / Lupolen HDPE grade datasheets — LyondellBasell (2023)
- Sclair HDPE resin datasheets — NOVA Chemicals (2023)
Property data is compiled from published supplier and standards handbooks and normalised for comparison; hardness values on non-Brinell scales are converted approximately for charting only. Manufacturability limits are FabDigit quote-engine defaults and may be relaxed by engineering review. Nothing on this page is a certification — request mill certs, CoC or material test reports with your order.