Do you know what the typical grades of POE are? What are the performance parameters?
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POE, whose full English name is Poly Olefin Elastomer, refers to ethylene-octene copolymer elastomer in most cases when it is discussed in the market. But strictly speaking, POE is an ethylene-α-olefin copolymer elastomer, where α-olefins refer to monoolefins with double bonds at the ends of the molecular chain; the commercially available types include α-butene (4C), α-hexene (6C), α-octene (8C), and propylene. There’s another interesting fact here: POE was originally known as linear ultra-low density polyethylene (ULDPE). Because of its density
Common POE grades include: 1. INFUSE OBC (Infuse Company): mainly used in disposable consumer goods, medical products, food packaging, etc. 2. TAFMER, VISTAMAXX (ExxonMobil): Mainly used in fields such as injection molding, extrusion, and film blowing. 3. ENGAGE (Dow Chemical Company): Commonly used in areas such as car trunk lids, pipes, and winding films. 4. EXACT (Dorilon Company): Used in areas such as rubber toughening, suspending agents, and geosynthetics. The performance parameters of POE include: density, hardness, tensile strength, elongation, tear resistance, fracture toughness, thermal stability, transparency, etc. Among them, the advantages of POE include good low-temperature performance and oxidation resistance, strong weather resistance, as well as the ability to maintain good flexibility and toughness even at low temperatures. .
I. Synthesis process: POE is a type of polyolefin elastomer, and olefin polymerization catalysts are the core of polyolefin polymerization technology; these catalysts include chromium-based catalysts, Ziegler-Natta catalysts, metallocene catalysts, non-metallocene catalysts, and so on. The characteristic of the single active center in metallocene catalysts enables the polymerization of any α-olefin monomer; it was first successfully used by ExxonMobil in 1991 for the industrial production of polyethylene, leading to the development of the Exact series. Compared with traditional olefin polymerization catalysts, the use of special metallocene catalysts not only enables POE to have a very narrow molecular weight distribution but also allows for the incorporation of more comonomer α-octene.
II. Application areas of POE POE boasts excellent low-temperature performance, elasticity, transparency, and antioxidant properties, and is widely used in fields such as plastic processing, packaging, building materials, medical devices, automobiles, and electronics. Specific applications include: food packaging films, pharmaceutical packaging films, medical supplies, infusion tubes, medical gloves, rubber toughening agents, carpet backing fabrics, waterproof membranes, oil field water injection pipes, PVC outer coatings, etc. .
II. Structural Properties: Essentially, POE is branched polyethylene, in which the crystalline regions of the polyethylene chains serve as physical cross-linking points. The addition of α-olefins weakens these crystalline regions, turning them into amorphous areas with rubber-like elasticity; this is what gives POE the properties of an elastomer. The basic structures of the two typical POEs are shown in the figure. Structure A is composed of ethylene and octene, with octene having 8 carbon atoms, while structure B is composed of ethylene and butene, with butene having 4 carbon atoms; this is what is meant by the 8C and 4C distinction. Its special structure enables POE to possess excellent physical and mechanical properties (high elasticity, high elongation, good impact strength), as well as good low-temperature resistance and processability. The saturated structure of the main chain also gives it advantages over traditional elastomers in terms of heat resistance and UV resistance; its good mobility improves the dispersion of fillers, thereby enhancing the strength of the weld lines in the final products.
III. Performance parameters The performance parameters of POE include: density, hardness, tensile strength, elongation, tear resistance, fracture toughness, thermal stability, transparency, etc. Among them, the advantages of POE include good low-temperature performance and oxidation resistance, strong weather resistance, as well as the ability to maintain good flexibility and toughness even at low temperatures. The specific parameters are as follows: 1. Density: generally between 0.87 and 0.89 g/cm³. 2. Hardness: It is tested using Durometer A hardness, Durometer D hardness, or ISO hardness, and is generally between 30 and 90. 3. Tensile strength: generally between 10 and 40 MPa. 4. Elongation: Generally over 300%. 5. Tear resistance: Generally ranges from 10 to 50 kN/m. 6. Fracture toughness: generally between 100 and 1500 kJ/m². 7. Thermal stability: The thermal stability temperature is generally between 80~120°C. 8. Transparency: The transparency is generally above 90%. IV. The processing methods for shaping POE materials mainly include extrusion, injection molding, and blow molding. During the extrusion process, it is recommended to use a single-screw extruder and apply high pressure to ensure good dispersion. During injection molding, compared to ordinary plastics, POE has a lower melt viscosity; therefore, it is necessary to increase the injection speed and pressure appropriately to prevent defects such as bubbles and warping caused by excessively high melt temperatures. During blow molding, free expansion blow molding and controlled expansion blow molding can be chosen according to the requirements of different products. V. Application Areas: POE possesses excellent low-temperature performance, elasticity, transparency, and antioxidant properties, and is widely used in fields such as plastic processing, packaging, building materials, medical devices, automobiles, and electronics. Specific applications include: food packaging films, pharmaceutical packaging films, medical supplies, infusion tubes, medical gloves, rubber toughening agents, carpet backing fabrics, waterproof membranes, oil field water injection pipes, PVC outer coatings, etc. Common POE grades include: 1. INFUSE OBC (Infuse Company) ； 2. TAFMER, VISTAMAXX (ExxonMobil Corporation) ； 3. ENGAGE (Dow Chemical Company) ； 4. EXACT (Dorion Company), etc. .
III. Processing and Molding: POE has good processability and can be molded using conventional thermoplastic processing equipment. The molding temperature and pressure generally need to be slightly higher, and it can be processed at very high speeds. For example, in addition to injection molding and extrusion molding, POE can also be processed into sheets or films using calenders, and it can also be blown into shapes. During the processing, POE does not require mixing or vulcanization, but its tensile strength, heat resistance, and chemical resistance can be improved through cross-linking. IV. Application Areas Due to its structural similarity to materials such as PP, EVA, and EPDM, POE exhibits good compatibility with these materials. It is currently widely used in applications such as automotive parts, photovoltaic films, wires and cables, mechanical tools, household items, toys, entertainment and sports products, shoe soles, seals, and hot melt adhesives.
To add more on the characteristics of POE products: they possess excellent low-temperature toughness and cold resistance, and can maintain their good physical properties even at temperatures as low as -60°C； Demonstrates excellent mechanical strength and wear resistance ； Non-toxic, tasteless, and meets health standards; suitable for use in food packaging ； It boasts excellent water resistance and chemical resistance. .
V. Common grades and their properties 1. Korean LG POE (SEETEC) LC170: Key properties include impact resistance and good toughness. Key parameters: melt index 1.1, specific gravity 0.87, hardness 71, tensile strength 9.5, elongation at break 900%, flexural modulus 14, tear strength 40, melting temperature 58°C. Main properties of LC175: impact resistance, good toughness. Key parameters: melt index 1.1, specific gravity 0.7, Mooney viscosity 18, hardness 63, tensile strength 4.4, elongation at break 900%, tear strength 34, melting temperature 36°C. Main properties of LC565: impact resistance, high toughness. Key parameters: melt index 5.0, specific gravity 0.87, Mooney viscosity 8, hardness 54, tensile strength 1.8, elongation at break 550%, tear strength 20, melting temperature 36°C. Key properties of LC670: high toughness, high impact resistance. Key parameters: melt index 5.0, specific gravity 0.87, Mooney viscosity 9, hardness 70, tensile strength 5.5, elongation at break 1000%, flexural modulus 13, tear strength 38, melting temperature 58°C. There is also LC100.