HDPE (high-density polyethylene) was invented by Karl Ziegler and Erhard Holzkamp in 1953, making use of a catalyst and low pressure.
Although the invention of HDPE was accredited to Ziegler and Holzkamp, they certainly weren’t the only people who were involved in the process of inventing one the most versatile polymers of our time. Contributions by Hans von Pechmann in the late 19th century, Eugene Bamberger and Friedrich Tschirner in 1900, Carl Shipp “Speed” Marvel in 1930 and Eric Fawcett and Reginald Gibson who created the first solid form of polyethylene in 1935, all led to solid polyethylene’s first commercial use, insulating radar cables for the British in World War II. With these chemists having laid down the ground work, Ziegler and Holzkamp were set to bring the world High-density polyethylene, as they did in 1953.Two years later, HDPE was used for making pipes for the first time and is to this day still one of its greatest applications. (Lester H. Gabriel, n.d.)
HDPE is classed as a thermoplastic in modern times and is used for making drainage pipes along with other thermoplastics such as PVC (polyvinyl chloride) and ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene). Today HDPE is the most commonly used material for highway drainage pipes in the world.
High-Density Polyethylene 