polyethylene
nounEtymology From poly- + ethylene.
1
Chemistry, Natural sciences, Organic chemistry, Physical sciences A polymer consisting of many ethylene monomers bonded together; used for kitchenware, containers etc.
- For eons, the debris has contained the same things — flecks from plant and animal carcasses, feces, mucus, dust, microbes, viruses — and transported the ocean’s carbon to be stored on the seafloor. Increasingly, however, marine snowfall is being infiltrated by microplastics: fibers and fragments of polyamide, polyethylene and polyethylene terephthalate. And this fauxfall appears to be altering our planet’s ancient cooling process.2022 April 3, Sabrina Imbler, “In the Ocean, It’s Snowing Microplastics”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, archived from the original on 05 Apr 2022:
- The most abundant chemical in the plastics is polyethylene, which is used for single-use packaging, plastic bags and containers such as bottles.2023 June 5, Yvonne Gordon, “Microplastics found in every sample of water taken during Ocean Race”, in The Guardian:
- Derived terms
- chlorinated polyethylene, CPE, chlorosulfonated polyethylene, CSPE, cross-linked polyethylene, high-density polyethylene, low-density polyethylene, PE, polyethylene glycol, polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylenic, polywrap, Terylene
- Related terms
- polymethylene