Polyethylene is an artificial compound, and is part of the polymer family.
Created through the polymerization of ethene, a simple alkine, polyethylene made its first appearance in Germany during the year 1898. As is true of many developments, this one was the result of an accident during an experiment. However, the resulting waxy compound quickly demonstrated its ability to be molded into useful products that would hold up well in high temperatures. By 1933, the process for creating polyethylene was developed to allow for mass production. Some sources cite that as much as sixty million tons of polyethylene is produced annually and used for all sorts of products, ranging from resin furniture to gaskets for refrigerator doors.
