HDPE, or high density polyethylene, is one of the hardest working sheet plastics on the market. It is a rigid, high strength material with excellent chemical and abrasion resistance, and it holds up to both hot and cold temperature extremes. Those properties are why HDPE turns up constantly in the marine, mining, agriculture and food processing industries, usually in the places where timber, metal or softer plastics wear out too quickly.

Key properties of HDPE

Resistant to chemicals, acids, oils and greases
High impact strength, even in cold conditions
Excellent abrasion and wear resistance
Weatherproof, with UV resistance in the black grade
Food grade in the natural (white) colour
Floats on water, which makes it a natural fit for marine work
Resistant to stains and odours
Lightweight compared with metal or plywood alternatives
Easily welded, machined and fabricated

Common applications

Polyethylene sheets get used anywhere a surface needs to take punishment without absorbing moisture. Typical jobs we supply for include:

Cutting boards and food preparation surfaces
Tanks, tank linings and chute linings
Wear strips and slide plates on machinery
Washers, spacers and machined components
Sand boxes, play equipment and outdoor fittings
Boat fit-outs, where HDPE marine board is used for hatches, seating, trims and deck hardware backing

HDPE marine board

The black UV stabilised grade is what most people mean when they ask for HDPE marine board. It will not rot, delaminate or corrode, it does not need painting or sealing, and it can go straight from the workshop onto a boat. Because HDPE floats and shrugs off salt water, it is a straight swap for marine ply in a lot of applications.

HDPE strips and small pieces

Not every job needs a full sheet. We regularly cut HDPE strips for wear pads, conveyor guides, packer strips and skid rails, down to very small quantities. If you need six strips at 40mm wide, that is a job we are happy to do.

Sizes, thicknesses and colours

Colours: black or natural (white)
Sheet size: 1500mm x 3000mm
Sheet thickness: 1.5mm to 40mm
Also available in rod form
Cut to size available, no amount is too small

Choosing between natural and black HDPE

Natural HDPE is the food grade option, so it is the right choice for cutting boards, food handling surfaces and anywhere hygiene matters. Black HDPE carries UV stabilisation, which makes it the better performer for outdoor and marine exposure where the sheet will sit in sunlight for years. If a part is both outdoors and food related, tell us what the application is and we will point you at the correct grade.

Buying HDPE from Associated Plastics

We have been cutting and fabricating plastics in Hobart since 1979, so we know how HDPE behaves on the saw, the router and the welder. Sheets are held in stock locally and we cut to your dimensions in house, which means you pay for the material you actually need rather than a full sheet plus offcuts you have to store. Orders ship Australia-wide, and we can also weld and fabricate HDPE into finished tanks, liners and components if you would rather receive a completed part than raw sheet. Send us your sizes, quantities and the application, and we will confirm the grade and thickness that suits.