HMWPE PE80
Grade
PE80 = pE80 pressure-pipe grade
Lower-cost pipe grade for gas distribution and smaller-diameter water lines where PE100 design stress is not required.
Values for the PE80 condition
Other HMWPE grades and fills
HMWPE is listed in 6 conditions; see the grade overview at HMWPE.
Compare all 6 grades and fillsHide
| Grade · open for datasheet | Best for | Yield MPa | Tensile MPa | Elong. % | Hardness |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Flame-retardant compound | Mineral- or halogen-FR filled compound for mining ducting, cable conduit and enclosure liners with fire-rating requirements. | 18 | 19 | 120 | 65 Shore D |
PE80This page PE80 pressure-pipe grade | Lower-cost pipe grade for gas distribution and smaller-diameter water lines where PE100 design stress is not required. | 21 | 25 | 750 | 60 Shore D |
Recycled / regrind HMW-HDPE | Cost- and carbon-reduced option for non-pressure sheet, drainage pipe cores and pallets where property scatter is acceptable. | 22 | 25 | 300 | 64 Shore D |
Antistatic / conductive carbon-black filled | Use in coal/grain chutes, mining liners and fuel-handling parts where static discharge must be avoided. | 23 | 22 | 250 | 68 Shore D |
Black, carbon-black UV stabilized | Choose for any long-term outdoor exposure: pipe, geomembrane, tank and marine dock fenders. | 25 | 30 | 700 | 66 Shore D |
PE100 bimodal pressure-pipe grade | Pick for buried water/gas pressure pipe and fittings needing 50-year hydrostatic design strength and high slow-crack-growth resistance. | 25 | 34 | 700 | — |
What is HMWPE PE80?
HMWPE PE80 is HMWPE in the PE80 grade — lower-cost pipe grade for gas distribution and smaller-diameter water lines where PE100 design stress is not required. HMWPE PE80 has a yield strength of 21 MPa (3.05 ksi) and a tensile strength of 25 MPa (3.63 ksi) — weaker than 79% of polymer grades. Elongation at break is 750% and the elastic modulus is 0.8 GPa (0.116 Msi). HMWPE PE80 has a density of 0.95 g/cm³ (0.0343 lb/in³), lighter than 75% of polymer grades. Its glass-transition temperature is -120°C (-184 °F).
Advantages
- Readily welded — 97/100, better than 100% of polymer grades
- Ductile — tolerates forming and impact — 750%, better than 99% of polymer grades
- Low moisture uptake — 0.01%, better than 97% of polymer grades
- Good corrosion resistance — 93/100, better than 95% of polymer grades
- Conducts heat well — 0.41 W/m·K (0.237 BTU/hr·ft·°F), better than 94% of polymer grades
Limitations
- Hard to polish — 25/100, worse than 90% of polymer grades
- Limited service temperature — 60°C (140 °F), worse than 87% of polymer grades
- High mold shrinkage — 2%, worse than 81% of polymer grades
- Low strength — 21 MPa (3.05 ksi), worse than 79% of polymer grades
HMWPE PE80 properties
Typical room-temperature values for HMWPE PE80; 27 are specific to this condition. Other listed values are HMWPE reference data and may not represent this condition. Bars are the position among polymer grades.
Physical6
HMWPE PE80 has a density of 0.95 g/cm³ (0.0343 lb/in³), lighter than 75% of polymer grades. Its glass-transition temperature is -120°C (-184 °F).
Mechanical16
HMWPE PE80 has a yield strength of 21 MPa (3.05 ksi) and a tensile strength of 25 MPa (3.63 ksi) — weaker than 79% of polymer grades. Elongation at break is 750% and the elastic modulus is 0.8 GPa (0.116 Msi).
Thermal11
HMWPE PE80 is rated for continuous service to 60°C (140 °F). It conducts heat at 0.41 W/m·K (0.237 BTU/hr·ft·°F), better than 94% of polymer grades. Thermal expansion is 160 µm/m·K (88.9 µin/in·°F).
Electrical7
HMWPE PE80 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 (93/100), better than 95% of polymer grades. UV resistance is excellent.
Sustainability4
Producing a kilogram of HMWPE PE80 takes about 78 MJ of energy and emits 2.1 kg of CO₂ — less than 88% of polymer grades. Typical recycled content is 10%.
Manufacturability8
HMWPE PE80's machinability is fair (52/100, worse than 72% of polymer grades); weldability excellent (97/100); formability very good (75/100).
Values are nominal handbook figures for design screening. Confirm any required mill or lot documentation when quoting.
Working with HMWPE PE80
Is HMWPE easy to machine?
Very machinable but soft and gummy — use sharp high-rake single-flute tools, high speed with low feed pressure, air blast cooling; expect springback and stress relaxation, so allow generous tolerances and stress-relieve thick sheet before finish cuts.
Can HMWPE be welded?
Excellent thermoplastic weldability: butt fusion, electrofusion, hot-gas and extrusion welding give near-parent-strength joints; adhesive bonding is poor without corona, flame or plasma surface treatment.
Can HMWPE be formed, bent or molded?
Low melt index means extrusion (sheet, pipe, profile) and blow molding rather than injection molding; high melt pressures and grooved-feed extruders are typical, mold shrinkage 1.5–4% with significant post-shrinkage.
What surface finishes work on HMWPE?
Cannot be plated or painted without pretreatment; use flame/corona treatment for printing and labels, machined or embossed textures for grip, and carbon-black pigmentation instead of coatings for UV protection.
HMWPE 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 controls density and ESCR | 0.2 – 2.5 | 1 |
| antioxidant / process stabilizer packagehindered phenol + phosphite | 0.05 – 0.5 | 0.2 |
| carbon blackblack UV-stabilized and pipe grades only (ISO 4427 / ASTM D3350) | 2 – 2.6 | 2.3 |
| ethylene (repeat unit)Ziegler-Natta or chromium-catalysed HDPE backbone, Mw ≈ 200,000–500,000 g/mol | ≥ 97.5 (balance) | — |
HMWPE PE80 — frequently asked
What is HMWPE PE80 used for?
HMWPE PE80 is typically used for gas and water pipe, geomembranes and liners, large blow-molded tanks, wear liners and cable jacketing. In short: stress-crack resistant HDPE; pipe and liner polyethylene; cheaper than UHMW-PE.
What is the yield strength of HMWPE PE80?
HMWPE PE80 has a typical yield strength of 21 MPa (3.05 ksi) and a tensile strength of 25 MPa (3.63 ksi) — weaker than 79% of polymer grades. Strength varies by condition: see the 6 listed tempers.
Is HMWPE PE80 easy to machine?
Reasonably — machinability is rated fair (52/100, worse than 72% of polymer grades). Very machinable but soft and gummy — use sharp high-rake single-flute tools, high speed with low feed pressure, air blast cooling; expect springback and stress relaxation, so allow generous tolerances and stress-relieve thick sheet before finish cuts.
Can HMWPE PE80 be welded?
Yes — weldability is rated excellent (97/100). Excellent thermoplastic weldability: butt fusion, electrofusion, hot-gas and extrusion welding give near-parent-strength joints; adhesive bonding is poor without corona, flame or plasma surface treatment.
What surface finishes work on HMWPE PE80?
Cannot be plated or painted without pretreatment; use flame/corona treatment for printing and labels, machined or embossed textures for grip, and carbon-black pigmentation instead of coatings for UV protection.
Can HMWPE PE80 be formed, bent or molded?
Low melt index means extrusion (sheet, pipe, profile) and blow molding rather than injection molding; high melt pressures and grooved-feed extruders are typical, mold shrinkage 1.5–4% with significant post-shrinkage.
What is the maximum service temperature of HMWPE PE80?
HMWPE PE80 is rated for continuous use to about 60°C (140 °F), and briefly to 110°C. Strength falls off well before that limit — check the elevated-temperature data for load-bearing parts.
Sources
- ASTM D3350 Standard Specification for Polyethylene Plastics Pipe and Fittings Materials — ASTM International (2021)
- ASTM D4976 Standard Specification for Polyethylene Plastics Molding and Extrusion Materials — ASTM International (2019)
- ISO 4427 Plastics piping systems — Polyethylene (PE) pipes and fittings for water supply — ISO (2019)
- Engineered Materials Handbook Vol. 2: Engineering Plastics — ASM International (1988)
- Hostalen / Lupolen HMW-HDPE pipe and sheet grade datasheets — LyondellBasell (2023)
- Continuum / DGDA bimodal HDPE pipe resin datasheets — Dow (2023)
- CAMPUS polyethylene datasets (ISO 10350 property set) — CAMPUS Plastics (2024)
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.