Polyethylene an takaita shi a matsayin PE, wanda wani nau'in resin thermoplastic ne da aka yi ta hanyar polymerization na ethylene. A cikin masana'antu, ya haɗa da copolymers na ethylene da ƙaramin adadin α-olefin. Polyethylene ba shi da wari, ba shi da guba, yana jin kamar kakin zuma, yana da kyakkyawan juriya ga ƙarancin zafin jiki (zafin amfani mafi ƙarancin zai iya kaiwa -70~-100℃), yana da kyakkyawan kwanciyar hankali na sinadarai, kuma yana iya jure yawancin acid da alkalis (ba ya jure wa halayen oxidizing) Acid, ba ya narkewa a cikin abubuwan narkewa gabaɗaya a zafin ɗaki, ƙarancin shan ruwa, kyakkyawan rufin lantarki; amma polyethylene yana da matukar damuwa ga damuwa ta muhalli (tasirin sinadarai da na inji), kuma yana da mummunan juriya ga tsufa da zafi. Abubuwan polyethylene sun bambanta daga nau'i zuwa nau'i, galibi ya danganta da tsarin kwayoyin halitta da yawa. Ana iya amfani da hanyoyin samarwa daban-daban don samun samfuran da yawa daban-daban (0.91~0.96g/cm3). Ana iya sarrafa polyethylene ta hanyar hanyoyin ƙera thermoplastic gabaɗaya (duba sarrafa filastik). Yana da amfani iri-iri, galibi ana amfani da shi wajen yin fina-finai, kwantena, bututu, filaye masu kama da juna, wayoyi da kebul, abubuwan da ake buƙata na yau da kullun, da sauransu, kuma ana iya amfani da shi azaman kayan rufewa mai yawan mita ga talabijin, radar, da sauransu.
Nau'in PE:
(1) LDPE: polyethylene mai ƙarancin yawa, polyethylene mai matsin lamba mai yawa
(2) LLDPE: polyethylene mai ƙarancin yawa mai layi
(3) MDPE: polyethylene mai matsakaicin yawa, resin bimodal
(4) HDPE: polyethylene mai yawa, polyethylene mai ƙarancin matsin lamba
(5) UHMWPE: Polyethylene mai nauyin kwayoyin halitta mai matuƙar girma
(6) Polyethylene da aka gyara: CPE, polyethylene mai haɗin giciye (PEX)
(7) Ethylene copolymer: ethylene-propylene copolymer (roba), EVA, ethylene-butene copolymer, ethylene-other olefin (kamar octene POE, cyclic olefin) copolymer, ethylene-unsaturated ester copolymer ( EAA, EMAA, EEA, EMA, EMMA, EMAH

Bututunmuan yi shi ne da kayan HDPE