HDPE Unfilled
Grade
ASTM D1248 Type III · ISO PE-HD · also Hostalen, Lupolen
Standard natural/white HDPE resin, sheet or machined part where chemical resistance and toughness matter more than stiffness.
Values for the Unfilled condition
Other HDPE grades and fills
HDPE is listed in 12 conditions; see the grade overview at HDPE.
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 | |
UnfilledThis page 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 |
What is HDPE Unfilled?
HDPE Unfilled is HDPE in the Unfilled grade — standard natural/white HDPE resin, sheet or machined part where chemical resistance and toughness matter more than stiffness. HDPE Unfilled 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). HDPE Unfilled 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).
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 Unfilled properties
Typical room-temperature values for HDPE Unfilled; 11 are specific to this condition. Other listed values are HDPE reference data and may not represent this condition. Bars are the position among polymer grades.
Physical6
HDPE Unfilled 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 Unfilled 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 Unfilled 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 Unfilled 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 Unfilled 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 Unfilled's machinability is very good (75/100, better than 78% of polymer grades); weldability excellent (95/100); formability very good (70/100).
Values are nominal handbook figures for design screening. Confirm any required mill or lot documentation when quoting.
Working with HDPE Unfilled
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.
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.
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) |
HDPE Unfilled — frequently asked
What is HDPE Unfilled used for?
HDPE Unfilled 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 Unfilled?
HDPE Unfilled 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 Unfilled 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 Unfilled 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 Unfilled?
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 Unfilled 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 Unfilled?
HDPE Unfilled 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.
Can FabDigit make parts in HDPE Unfilled?
Yes — HDPE Unfilled 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. Nothing on this page is a certification — request mill certs, CoC or material test reports with your order.