POLYETHYLENE WAX

CAS NUMBER: 68441-17-8

Polyethylene Wax, referred to as PE Wax, is a thermoplastic polymer consisting of long ethylene monomer chains. 
Polyethylene is one of the most widely used plastics in the world, and PE wax has a large variety of uses and applications. 
Polyethylene Wax is available from on-purpose production and as a byproduct of polyethylene production. 
This material is available in both HDPE and LDPE forms.
Polyethylene Wax is derived from ethylene through a process called polymerization. 
Manufacturers alter the polymerization process to get a product with desired qualities. 
However, certain basic properties of the material are common for all PE wax.
As a completely saturated ethylene homopolymer, polyethylene wax is linear and crystalline. 
That is why this material finds applications such as blends, plastic additives and rubber manufacture. 
Due to its high crystalline nature, this material has unique features such as hardness at high temperatures and low solubility in a wide range of solvents.
The material is a thermoplastic so you can guess how it behaves when exposed to heat. 
Thermoplastics melt at 110°C. 
An interesting feature of these materials is the ability to be heated and cooled without extensive degradation.

Polyethylene wax also features limited poly disparity and molecular weight. 
Consequently, the material is highly resistant to chemical attacks, has unmatched heat stability and is very flexible in formulating applications.
Polyethylene wax can be either low density polyethylene (LDPE) or high density polyethylene (HDPE). 
Generally, HDPE tends to be more dense and crystalline, so you could distinguish the two if you have a way of determining these properties.
Nevertheless, you can use various methods to identify PE wax from other materials; sight, touch, smell etc. 
This wax is similar to plastic sheets. 
Polyethylene Wax is a semi-translucent yellow material. 

Polyethylene Wax has a gloss surface. 
If you cut the material, there are neither impurities nor any separation.
The material has lubricant properties, which you can feel by touch. 
At room temperature, PE wax is brittle and fragile. 
This is unlike a fake version, which is rough and greasy.
If you want to test the material, consider boiling it in water for five minutes. 
Real Polyethylene Wax does not change in shape. 
If the wax contains paraffin or any other impurity, you will know it through shape change.

Polyethylene Wax is heat-stable, lowly soluble, chemically resistant and hard. 
Combining these features with abrasion resistance and broad melting points makes the material the undisputable choice for a wide range of industrial applications. 
Whether you want to process rubber, manufacture textiles, modifier plastic or coat corrugated board, there is a grade available. 
As manufacturers may have different grades of the material, please ask so that you can be directed to the one that matches your needs.
Polyethylene wax (PE wax): Available with Linear, Low molecular weight PE waxes with high melting points. 
Applications include Cable filing, Polish, Masterbatch, Printing Ink, PVC Compounding, Rubber processing, Textile Treatment, Paints, Fruit Coating, Paper Coating etc.
Various grades such as PR700, M3400P etc.

Polyethylene wax (PE wax), also known as polymer wax, because of its excellent cold resistance, heat resistance, chemical resistance and wear resistance. 
Polyethylene Wax is widely used in the production of color masterbatch, filler masterbatch, PVC products, hot melt adhesive, road marking paint, stabilizer, asphalt modification, coating powder and wax emulsions, etc. 
In normal production, this part of wax can be directly added to polyolefin processing as an additive, which can increase the luster and processing performance of products. 
As a lubricant, Polyethylene Wax has stable chemical properties and good electrical properties.
Polyethylene wax has good solubility with polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl wax, ethylene propylene rubber and butyl rubber. 
Polyethylene Wax can improve the fluidity of polyethylene, polypropylene, ABS and the demoulding performance of polymethylmethacrylate and polycarbonate. 
Compared with other external lubricants, polyethylene wax has stronger internal lubrication for PVC.

Polyethylene wax is a ultra low molecular weight polyethylene based on ethylene monomer chains.
Primarily its available as by-product from polymerization of crude oil cracking into ethylene and categorized into LDPE wax and HDPE wax accordingly and further on-purpose modified with specific required values including oxidized waxes as well.
Polyethylene Wax has large variety of applications to improve processing and uses. 
Global demand of PE Wax is continuously increasing and FT wax has also played very good role in some applications as PE Wax alternative.
Polyethylene Wax is important to mention that different practices are being carried out to obtain PE Wax from PE scraps to cop up with price issues and an alternative channel to obtain scrap wax specially when petrochemicals focus on obtaining final PE product instead of any by-product.
China is largest user of waxes in the world and recent Crona virus attack has set back their economy that can impact a lot on related industry worldwide.

Polyethylene wax is a low molecular weight polyethylene polymer. 
Compared to natural waxes, polyethylene wax shows a more slippery substance due to its improved molecular structure. 
For this reason, it is used extensively in the lubricants group. 
Polyethylene Wax is also used in resin additives, mold release agents, hot melt adhesives and rubber processing. 
Polyethylene Wax is a product used in many areas due to its pigment wetting, slippery feature and heat resistance.
Polyethylene Wax, also known as PE Wax, is an ultra low molecular weight polyethylene consisting of ethylene monomer chains. 
Polyethylene Wax has a large variety of uses and applications. 

Polyethylene Wax is available from on-purpose production and as a byproduct of polyethylene production. 
This material is available in both HDPE and LDPE forms.As there are many grades and types available from IRM, please inquire so that one of our knowledgeable representatives can assist you in locating the correct grade that matches your requirements.
Polyethylene wax is a low molecular weight polyethylene polymer that is used for improving and enhancing the process parameters and properties of the finished products in diverse applications in the plastic industry. 
Polyethylene Wax has low molecular weight and features wax-like characteristics. 
There are numerous companies that are engaged in offering quality non-oxidized, non-polar PE wax. 
The wax is formulated using the distillation process for enhancing the properties of the product and to produce different grades of PE wax. 
The excellent properties of PE wax make it a required component in the plastic industry.
Due to its dense crystalline component structure, polyethylene waxes show low solubility in solvents. 
Another purpose of use is as a homogenizing agent in formulation.

Polyethylene waxes are basically low molecular weight polymers of ethylene, produced via the polymerization of Ethylene. 
This can be high pressure or catalytic polymerization (Ziegler-Natta, Metallocene). 
Final properties like molecular weight, branching and crystallinity and therefore hardness, flexibility, melt viscosity and melting point differ per production method.
A completely different production method for producing PE waxes is by thermal degradation of Polyethylene polymers. 
This results a well defined molecular weight distribution and therefore improved rheological properties. 
This method also allows for the recycling of Polyethylene polymers into waxes.
Polyethylene Wax can be functionalized through oxidation, maleic grafting or copolymerization, of which oxidation is by far the must used method. 
The reason for the controlled oxidation of PE waxes is to build in polar functionality in order to make them easier to emulsify. 
Maleic grafting and copolymerization with polar functional groups (Acrylic acid or Acetate) is mainly done to increase the adhesion on polar substrates like glass, metal or paper.

Polyethylene wax can be used as a disperant, slip agent, resin additive, and mold release agent. 
As an oxidised product, OPEW is authorized in the EU as E number reference E914 only for the surface treatment of some fruits.
Polyethylene Wax provides excellent dispersion, color consistency and high flow ability in color and master batch compound; high gloss and high abrasive resistance in coating, excellent internal and external lubricant functional in injection process.
Polyethylene wax is derived from ethylene through a process called polymerization. 
Manufacturers alter the polymerization process to get a product with desired qualities. 
However, certain basic properties of the material are common for all PE wax.
Polyethylene Wax, also known as PE Wax, is an ultra-low molecular weight PE. 
Polyethylene Wax helps granule produce by decrease the softening point of the system. 

Polyethylene Wax is a very good external lubricant for PVC. 
When Polyethylene Wax use in PVC application, the final produce face has been shine. 
Polyethylene wax using decreases the friction so increase the extrusion capacity. 
Polyethylene Wax using doesn’t change the product color because PE wax has got
good oxidation resistance.
Polyethylene is a flexible waxy translucentpolyalkene thermoplastic made in avariety of ways producing a polymerof varying characteristics. 
In the ICIprocess, ethene containing a trace of oxygen is subjected to a pressure inexcess of 1500 atmospheres and atemperature of 200°C. 
Low-densitypolyethene (r.d. 0.92) has a formulaweight between 50 000 and 300 000,softening at a temperature around110°C, while the high-density polythene(r.d. 0.945–0.96) has a formulaweight up to 3 000 000, softeningaround 130°C. 
The low-density polymeris less crystalline, being more atactic.Polyethene is used as aninsulator; it is acid resistant and iseasily moulded and blown.

Polyethylene is a water-repellent, white, tough, leathery, thermoplastic resin very similar in appearance to paraffin wax. 
Properties vary from a viscous liquid at low molecular weights to a hard waxlike substance at high molecular weights. 
Polyethylene Wax is used as a coating for glass bottles and fiberglass fabrics (special treatments for glass are required to obtain good adhesion between polyethylene and glass) and is also used as an injection-molding material for ceramics.
In the polymerization process, the double bond connecting the carbon atoms is broken. 
Under the right conditions, these bonds reform with other ethylene molecules to form long molecular chains. 
Ethylene copolymers, EVA, and EEA are made by the polymerization of ethylene units with randomly distributed comonomer groups, such as vinyl acetate (VA) and ethyl acrylate (EA).

PROPERTIES:

The molecular weight (Mn) of Polyethylene Wax can vary roughly between 300 and 10.000 with melting points starting at 90°C and going up to 140°C. 
Melt viscosities can also differ to a great extent starting from very low (<40 mPa.s) up to very high (around 90.000 mPas.).
Oxidized waxes have acid numbers starting at 14 going up to 30 and generally slightly lower melting points and melt viscosities due to the partial breakdown of the PE backbone during the oxidation process.
Non-oxidized PE waxes are water white, where oxidized PE waxes can be slightly off-white to light yellow.
The density of Polyethylene waxes can be controlled like this is done with high molecular weight polymers. 
Polyethylene Wax waxes have higher melting points and melt viscosities than LDPE waxes.

CHARACTERISTICS:

-High softening point
-High melting point
-Excellent thermal stability
-High chemical resistance
-Highly compatible with wax varieties
-Perfect lubrication
-Perfect head resistance
-polyethylene wax
-PE wax is a semi-translucent yellow material with a gloss surface
-Identifying PE Wax

USAGES:

Polyethylene wax acts as an activator and dispersing material for polyethylene, ABS resins, polypropylene, etc. 
Polyethylene Wax is added in hydrocarbon waxes for increasing the melting points of such waxes to a certainly marked degree. 
Moreover, the wax is compatible with petroleum and other waxes. 
The Polyethylene Wax is available in two main grades, namely emulsifiable and non-emulsifiable. 
The former is an important textile processing chemical and widely used in textile finishing, cosmetics, polishes, paper coating, leather auxiliaries, adhesives, crayons, packing and various others. 
And, the latter one is used as lubricants for plastics and elastomers, carriers for pigment concentrates, and in paints and printing ink industry.
As Polyethylene Wax emulsions are stable softeners, they do not yellow the white fabrics and do not change the color of printing and dyeing. 
Owing to its low molecular weight, it used in combination with the petroleum waxes in food packaging industry. 
Polyethylene Wax has a wide usage in coating sector owing to its attributes like scratch resistance, rub resistance, water repellency and improved slip. 
Moreover, Polyethylene Wax is used as a mold release agent in plastic industry as it has the features of releasability, which increase the productivity level while preventing pollution and enabling the molding of complex shapes.
For purchasing PE wax in bulk quantity, you have to look out for reliable polyethylene wax manufacturers and polyethylene wax suppliers. 
And, you can narrow down your search by browsing different online sites.

Polyethylene Wax finds application in a wide range of industries because of its desirable physical and chemical properties. 
As the material can have a broad range of melt points, densities and other properties, it is understandable why it is used so extensively.
Polyethylene waxes have very unique polymer properties that make them useful in many applications. 
The major functions of PE wax in many formulations are to either provide lubrication and/or provide physical modification of a formula by changing viscosity and / or melt point. 
Polyethylene wax increase inorganic and organic pigment dispersion in
matrix polymer during masterbatch processing. 
Also, Polyethylene Wax helps granule produce by decrease softening point of system. 
Polyethylene wax is very good external lubricant for PVC. 
When Polyethylene Wax use in PVC application, final produce face has been shine.
Polyethylene wax using decrease the friction so increase the extrusion capacity. 
Polyethylene Wax using doesn’t change the product color because PE wax has got good oxidation resistance. 

Polyethylene Wax doesn’t bad effect product’s heat and light stability because pe wax doesn’t include catalizors remnant.
Polyethylene wax increase last product’s light stability. 
Polyethylene Wax hasn’t got toxic materials so PE wax can be use food packaging applications. 
Polyethylene Wax use hot melt application.
Polyethylene (PE) is a thermoplastic polymer consisting of long hydrocarbon chains. 
Polyethylene Wax is used in a number of applications including flexible film packaging produced by the blown film process. 

Polyethylene is used to regulate viscosity, suspension properties, and general stability in cosmetic formulations. 
Typical applications included specialty injection molded parts, in these fields Polyethylene has a wide range of uses:
Injection and blow molded toys, housewares and lids.
Injection molded car seats, mower parts and pails.
Injection molded, thin-walled containers and housewares.
Hot melt coating for paper, additive in cast moldings, candles, oil-based inks and hot melt adhesives.
Additive to unsaturated polyesters, epoxides and other polymers to impart the unique properties of UHMWPE. 

Used in industrial parts, coatings and wear surfaces at 10-40 wt. %.
Film applications having good drawdown and toughness.
Mold release additive, lubricant in rubber processing, extrusion and calendering aid for PVC and dispersing aid for color concentrates.
Bearings, gears, bushings and other moving parts.
Laboratory tubing; in making prostheses; electrical insulation; packaging materials; kitchenware; tank and pipe linings; paper coatings; textile stiffeners.
polyethylene is used to regulate viscosity, suspension properties, and general stability in cosmetic formulations. 
Polyethylene Wax is derived from petroleum gas or dehydration of alcohol.

USES:

A recent survey by Transparency Market Research identified the PE wax market to include plastic additives, candles, cosmetics and rubber. 
Others are packaging, lubricants, wood and coatings.
The wax finds application in a wide range of industries because of its desirable physical and chemical properties. 
As the material can have a broad range of melt points, densities and other properties, it is understandable why it is used so extensively.
The emulsifiable variety is particularly crucial in the textile industry. 
Polyethylene Wax is also used in paper coating, leather auxiliaries, crayons and cosmetics. 
The non-emulsifiable type is mostly common in printing ink, pigment concentrates and paints.

In the textile sector, the material probably finds the most intensive application. 
Emulsions made from the wax offer stable softening. 
While they resist acids and other chemicals, these emulsions are friendly to the fabric – with no yellowing of fabrics, no colour change and no chlorine retention.
The packaging sector is also using polyethylene wax intensively. 
Adherence to the olefins regulations is necessary when using the material as a food additive, at least in the United States.
The coating industry has historically used waxes. 
The importance of wax is that it adds water repellency, better slip, and mark resistance among other features. 
When used correctly, polyethylene wax introduces the following:

-Anti-sagging
-Anti-settling
-Abrasion resistance
-Marking resistance
-Mar resistance

In the inks industry, the material presents similar advantages. 
Most ink types contain polyethylene wax as a way to improve the coefficient of friction and increase scuff resistance.

MAIN USES:

Paint, Engineering Plastic (Composites), Masterbatch, PVC extrusion, Lubrication, Hot Melt Adhesive, Pigment dispersion / Coloring agent, Coating, Surface Modifying, Release agent, Viscosity adjustment, Scratch resistance, Additives and stabilizers, Polishes, Rubber processing,WPC, Blending with other waxes etc.

INDUSTRIAL USES:

Polyethylene Wax thermoplastic resins include lowdensity polyethylenes (LDPE), linear low-density polyethylenes (LLDPE), high-density polyethylenes (HDPE), and ethylene copolymers, such as ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) and ethylene- ethyl acrylate (EEA), and ultrahighmolecular- weight polyethylenes (UHMWPE). 
The basic properties of polyethylenes can be modified with a broad range of fillers, reinforcements, and chemical modifiers, such as thermal stabilizers, colorants, flame retardants, and blowing agents. 
Major application areas for polyethylenes are packaging, industrial containers, automotive, materials handling, consumer products, medical products, wire and cable insulation, furniture, housewares, toys, and novelties.
Polyethylene Wax, the first of the polyethylenes to be developed, has good toughness, flexibility, low-temperature impact resistance, clarity in film form, and relatively low heat resistance. 
Like the higher-density grades, LDPE has good resistance to chemical attack.
One of the fastest-growing plastics is linear LLDPE, used mainly in film applications but also suitable for injection, rotational, and blow molding. 
Properties of Polyethylene Wax are different from those of conventional LDPE and HDPE in that impact, tear, and heat-seal strengths and environmental stress-crack resistance of LLDPE are significantly higher. 
Major uses at present are grocery bags, industrial trash bags, liners, and heavy-duty shipping bags for such products as plastic resin pellets.
Rigidity and tensile strength of the HDPE resins are considerably higher than those properties in the low- and medium-density materials. 
Impact strength is slightly lower, as is to be expected in a stiffer material, but values are high, especially at low temperatures, compared with those of many other thermoplastics.

Polyethylene Wax resins are available with broad, intermediate, and narrow molecular-weight distribution, which provides a selection to meet specific performance requirements. 
As with the other polyethylene grades, very-high-molecular- weight copolymers of HDPE resins are available with improved resistance to stress cracking.
Applications of HDPE range from film products to large, blow-molded industrial containers. 
The largest market area is in blowmolded containers for packaging milk, fruit juices, water, detergents, and household and industrial liquid products. 
Other major uses include high-quality, injection-molded housewares, industrial pails, food containers, and tote boxes; extruded water and gas-distribution pipe, and wire insulation; and structural-foam housings. 
Polyethylene Wax resins are also used to rotationally mold large, complex-shaped products such as fuel tanks, trash containers, dump carts, pallets, agricultural tanks, highway barriers, and water and waste tanks for recreational vehicles.

-Adhesives
-PVC
-CALPET
-Road Marking Paints
-Master Batch
-Wax Emulsions
-Lubricants

APPLICATION:

Polyethylene wax has many physical and chemical properties that make it suitable for a wide range of industrial applications.
Some of the many applications of polyethylene wax are paper-coating, crayons, packaging, ink and leather auxiliaries. 
Others are food additives and paints. 
Oxidized PE waxes are mainly used in water and solvent based emulsions and dispersions. 
For applications of wax emulsions please follow this link.
Non-oxidized PE waxes are used in the following applications:

-Masterbatches
-PVC
-Hotmelt adhesives
-Cable industry
-Plastic Additives
-Masterbatches
-Internal/ external lubricants for plastic
-Rubber processing (release )
-Hot melt adhesives
-Surface modification
-Coatings
The best known producers of Polyethyele waxes are Honeywell (AC wax), Clariant (Licowax) and BASF (Luwax).

CHEMICAL PROPERTIES:

Chemical and physical properties are markedly affected by increasing density, which is affected by the shape and spacing of the molecular chain. 
Low-density materials have highly branched and widely spaced chains, whereas high-density materials have comparatively straight and closely aligned chains. 
Low-density polyethylene (0.926–0.9409 g/cm3) is soluble in organic solvents at temperatures higher than 200°F. 
Polyethylene Wax is insoluble at room temperature. High-density polyethylene (0.041–0.965 g/cm3) is hydrophobic, permeable to gas, and has high electrical resistivity.
Low molecular weight polyethylenes have excellent electrical resistance and resistance to water and to most chemicals. 
Medium molecular weight polymers are waxes miscible with paraffin wax, and polyethylene polymers whose molecular weights are higher than 10,000 are the familiar tough and strong resins that are flexible or stiff. 

By varying the catalyst and methods of polymerization, properties such as density, crystallinity, molecular weight, and polydispersity can be regulated over wide ranges. 
Polymers with densities ranging from approximately 0.910 to 0.925 g/cm3 are low-density polyethylenes; those with densities ranging from 0.926 to 0.940 g/cm3 are medium-density polyethylenes; and those with densities ranging from 0.941 to 0.965 g/cm3 and higher are high-density polyethylenes.
As the crystallinity or density increases, the products generally become stiffer and stronger and have a high softening temperature and high resistance to penetration by liquids and gases. 
At the same time, they lose some of their resistance to tear and environmental stress cracking.
High-density PE (HDPE) is a chemically pure, porous plastic implant material that can perform supportive functions. 
The material has good tissue biocompatibility and permits ingrowth of connective tissue with related vascularization. 
The material is being used more frequently in nasal surgery.
Polyethylene Wax can be cross-linked by irradiation (electron beam, gamma, or X radiation) or by free radical catalysts such as peroxides.

PRODUCTION METHOD:

Polyethylene Wax is produced by a low-pressure solution or gasphase process that is initiated by a variety of transition metal catalysts. 
The most common catalysts are Ziegler titanium compounds with aluminum alkyls and Phillips chromium oxide-based catalysts. 
The gas-phase and slurry processes are used to produce high molecular weight, high-density (HMW-HDPE) products. 
The highest density linear PEs can be made from an α-olefin comonomer, typically octene for the solution process and butene or hexene for the gas-phase process. 
Polyethylene Wax does not have long-chain branches and is therefore more crystalline. 
The short-chain branches found in linear PE serve as tie molecules, which give the higher α -olefin copolymers improved puncture and tear properties. 
Included in the linear PE family are ultra-low-density PE (ULDPE), LLDPE, and HDPE.

Polyethylene Wax’s main use is in blow-molded products such as milk bottles, packaging containers, drums, car fuel tanks, toys, and houseware. 
Film and sheet are widely used in wrappings, refuse sacks, carrier bags, and industrial liners. 
Injection molding products include crates, pallets, packaging containers, houseware, and toys. 
Extrusion grades are used in pipes, conduit, wire coating, and cable insulation.
Polyethylene Wax is a thermoplastic that in many applications replaces its predecessor, low-density polyethylene (LDPE), or is used in blends with LDPE. 
In particular, LDPE’s shortchain branching gives it higher tensile strength, puncture, and anti-tear properties, making it especially suitable for film applications.

SYNONYM:

POLYETHYLENE, OXIDIZED 
Ethene,homopolymer,oxidized 
oxidizedpolyethylene 
Ployoxyethylene 
POE 
POLYETHYLENE OXIDIZED ACID
POLYETHYLENE OXIDIZED LOW MOLECULAR
OXIDIZEDPOLYETHYLENEWAXES
POLYETHYLENE, OXIDIZED
Polyethylene, oxidized;Ethene, homopolymer, oxidized
Oxidized polyethylene (INCI) 
Polyethylene wax, oxidized