Chlorinated polyethylene (PE-C or CPE) is an inexpensive variation of
polyethylene
Polyethylene or polythene (abbreviated PE; IUPAC name polyethene or poly(methylene)) is the most commonly produced plastic. It is a polymer, primarily used for packaging ( plastic bags, plastic films, geomembranes and containers including b ...
, where chlorine is substituted for some of the hydrogen atoms. CPE has a
chlorine
Chlorine is a chemical element with the symbol Cl and atomic number 17. The second-lightest of the halogens, it appears between fluorine and bromine in the periodic table and its properties are mostly intermediate between them. Chlorine i ...
content from 34 to 44%.
Due to its soft, rubbery texture, CPE is added to
polyvinyl chloride to increase its impact and weather resistance. Furthermore, it is used for softening PVC foils, without risking plasticizer migration.
Chlorinated polyethylene can be
crosslinked
In chemistry and biology a cross-link is a bond or a short sequence of bonds that links one polymer chain to another. These links may take the form of covalent bonds or ionic bonds and the polymers can be either synthetic polymers or natural ...
with
peroxide
In chemistry, peroxides are a group of compounds with the structure , where R = any element. The group in a peroxide is called the peroxide group or peroxo group. The nomenclature is somewhat variable.
The most common peroxide is hydrogen ...
s to form an
elastomer which is used in cable and rubber industries. When chlorinated polyethylene is added to other
polyolefins, it reduces the
flammability
A combustible material is something that can burn (i.e., ''combust'') in air. A combustible material is flammable if it ignites easily at ambient temperatures. In other words, a combustible material ignites with some effort and a flammable mat ...
. Chlorinated polyethylene is sometimes used in power cords as an outer jacket.
Chlorinated polyethylene is listed on the Living Building Institute's
Red List
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biologi ...
of materials that cannot be used.
References
Organic polymers
Plastics
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