In industry, photoinitiators are primarily used to promote polymerization reactions, notably in the production of polyethylene plastic.

"Someone asked me yesterday for a tape on how to make polyethylene plastic," Mr. Palgon said.

Parafin wax and polyethylene plastic are pure (-CH2-), and don't heat up at all from microwaves.

A new, cheap membrane, based on an electrically modified polyethylene plastic, made it fit for potential commercial use.

Von Pechmann also discovered polyethylene plastics serendipitously in 1898, when accidentally heating diazomethane.

It's shielded by the other modules, and by a layer of polyethylene plastic.

However, the compressive elasticity of polyethylene plastic may tend to soften externally applied shocks.

Fiberglass "rigid" kayaks came on the scene in the 1950s and were the standard until polyethylene plastic took over in the 1980s.

However, these were quickly replaced by enormous balloons made of polyethylene plastic.

One new application is the conversion of acetylene to ethylene for use in making a variety of polyethylene plastics.