| HS Code | 501350 |
As an accredited Braskem HDPE GF4960 factory, we enforce strict quality protocols—every batch undergoes rigorous testing to ensure consistent efficacy and safety standards.
| Packing | Braskem HDPE GF4960 comes in 25 kg polyethylene bags, typically stacked on pallets for industrial storage and transport. |
| Container Loading (20′ FCL) | Braskem HDPE GF4960: 20′ FCL loads 18 pallets, 24.75 metric tons, 990 × 25 kg bags, subject to carrier weight limits. |
| Shipping | Braskem HDPE GF4960 is typically transported as non-hazardous polyethylene resin pellets in 25-kg bags, 1,000-kg octabins, or bulk hopper cars/trucks. Keep dry and away from heat, sunlight, moisture, contamination, and ignition sources. Not regulated under DOT, IATA, or IMDG. Follow the manufacturer’s SDS and local rules. |
| Storage | Store Braskem HDPE GF4960 in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area, away from direct sunlight, heat, flames, and strong oxidizers. Keep bags or containers tightly closed to prevent moisture, dust, and contamination. Avoid excessive stacking or physical damage. Maintain clean, segregated storage and use first-in, first-out stock rotation. No smoking; keep away from food, drink, and incompatible materials. |
| Shelf Life | Braskem HDPE GF4960 has a typical shelf life of two years when stored sealed, cool, dry, and away from direct sunlight. |
Braskem HDPE GF4960 enters heavy-wall extrusion blow molding and thick-sheet extrusion as a high-molecular-weight polyethylene whose melt flow index under ISO 1133-1:2022 at 190°C/2.16 kg lies in the 0.30–0.40 g/10 min band, with density measured under ASTM D1505 in the 0.949–0.953 g/cm³ range. The grade is specified only where parison sag resistance, pinch-weld integrity, environmental stress cracking resistance, and thick-wall impact performance are the controlling design inputs. No pre-drying is required below 60% relative humidity; above 60% RH, silo day-bin moisture adsorbed to pellet surfaces produces splay on thick-walled parisons and microvoids at weld lines. The application scenarios below define the converter-relevant compliance, formulation, production, and finished-article parameters for downstream sectors that use this resin in monolayer or co-extruded hollow parts.
For rigid plastics jerrycans and tight-head drums subject to international dangerous-goods transport, the conversion specification is set by the UN Model Regulations Chapter 6.1 and 49 CFR 178.603 rather than by generic datasheet comparisons. A typical monolayer formulation is built on 100 phr GF4960, with clean internal regrind limited to ≤35 wt% because accumulated shear history at higher recycle fractions narrows the effective molecular weight distribution and reduces −18°C drop-impact resistance. Carbon black masterbatch at 2.0–2.5 wt% of a 40% loaded concentrate is added for outdoor UV stability; antioxidant masterbatch at 0.05–0.15 phr protects against melt-temperature excursions during accumulator-head residence times. Extrusion blow molding on shuttle machines with 70–90 mm grooved-feed extruders, L/D 24:1–30:1, and accumulator heads of 2–5 kg shot capacity maintains melt temperature at 180–210°C, mold temperature at 10–30°C, and parison wall thickness from 2.5 mm to 6.0 mm. The terminal articles are UN-marked 10–30 L jerrycans and 120–220 L tight-head drums; drop testing for Packing Group II liquids requires impact at 1.2 m on the closure and side-seam zones, while hydraulic pressure testing under UN 6.1.5.5 is applied for 30 min at the assigned pressure. Batch-to-batch variance in die swell on 90 mm annular dies is observed when head tooling runs without concentricity checks after every colour change; this produces wall-thickness asymmetry greater than 15% and intermittent leakage at the pinch-off weld.
In automotive fuel tank co-extrusion, GF4960 is run as the outer and inner HDPE layers at 100 phr in each layer, while clean post-industrial regrind is incorporated at 20–40 wt% only in a dedicated core layer to avoid exposing the EVOH barrier to contaminated recycle. The EVOH layer is specified at 1.5–3.0% of the total wall thickness, and the maleic-anhydride-grafted polyethylene tie layers are set at 2.0–4.0% each. Outer-layer carbon black is typically 0.5–1.5 wt% to maintain electrostatic dissipation, not UV protection. Co-extrusion blow molding requires six-extruder or three-extruder die-head systems with layer sequence HDPE/tie/EVOH/tie/regrind/HDPE, melt temperature for the HDPE skin layers of 200–230°C, and parison programming segmented into at least 15 points to control wall thickness in the corners. The governing standards are UN/ECE Regulation No. R34 for fuel tank integrity and the applicable EPA and CARB evaporative emission limits for the finished vehicle; material-level tests include ASTM D638-14 tensile yield and ISO 527-2:2019 elongation. Terminal fuel tanks are in the 40–100 L range with wall thicknesses between 5 mm and 10 mm; published data for this specific resin configuration in six-layer fuel tanks is limited, so converter qualification often includes low-temperature drop impact at −40°C and creep testing at 60°C under 50 kPa internal pressure. A production-scale failure mode encountered on multi-layer die heads is viscosity mismatch at the HDPE/tie interface when the tie layer temperature drops below 190°C; the result is layer waviness, not visible from the outside, that reduces EVOH barrier continuity by local thickness reduction greater than 30%.
Agricultural and crop-protection packaging in monolayer HDPE requires chemical resistance validation that goes beyond the generic datasheet. The formulation for a 1–20 L agrochemical bottle uses GF4960 at 100 phr, UV stabilizer at 0.2–0.5 wt%, antioxidant at 0.05–0.15 wt%, antistatic masterbatch at 0.1–0.3 wt% for powder formulations, and colour masterbatch at 1–3 wt%. Regrind from fluorinated bottles must not exceed 25 wt% because fluorine-treated inner surfaces create gel-like defects and reduce ESCR when re-extruded; if fluorination is applied, it is executed as post-mould inline fluorination at 0.25–0.75% fluorine in nitrogen on the finished container, not as a melt additive. Industry compliance is anchored to ASTM D1693-15 Condition B for environmental stress cracking resistance, ASTM D543-21 for mass change after chemical immersion, and the relevant FIFRA label-packaging requirements for the active ingredient. Extrusion blow molding on continuous parison machines with 60–80 mm extruders and vertical accumulator heads processes the material at 180–205°C; the wall thickness is held between 1.8 mm and 3.5 mm and the pinch weld is cooled with independent water jets to prevent notched failure in drop tests. The terminal articles are UN-marked 1 L, 5 L, 10 L, and 20 L chemical bottles and jerrycans with 38 mm to 63 mm neck finishes. When ASTM D1693-15 Condition B test coupons are cut from the side wall rather than the pinch weld, published data for this specific grade is limited, but converter qualification data routinely identifies the pinch weld as the limiting location; coupons cut from the weld can fail below 50 h while side-wall coupons often exceed 300 h.
When GF4960 is used for underhood automotive reservoirs—windshield washer tanks, coolant expansion bottles, and hydraulic fluid reservoirs—the process challenge shifts from ESCR to long-term heat and chemical aging. The characteristic formulation is 100 phr GF4960 with heat stabilizer at 0.1–0.3 wt%, carbon black at 0.5–2.0 wt% in exterior-grade masterbatch, and regrind controlled to ≤20 wt% because underhood parts are subject to burst-pressure requirements after heat aging. Relevant standards include SAE J1637 for laboratory cyclic corrosion, ASTM D648 heat deflection temperature, and ASTM D638-14 tensile yield after heat aging; burst testing is commonly performed at 150–250 kPa on the finished part. Three-dimensional blow molding with manipulated parison and multi-axis clamps is the dominant production route because these reservoirs are rarely cylindrical; extruder melt temperatures are kept at 190–210°C, mould temperatures at 15–35°C, and clamp force on sequential mould stations is typically 800–1200 kN for parts up to 12 L. Terminal parts include 3–12 L windshield washer reservoirs and coolant expansion tanks with wall thickness between 2.5 mm and 5.0 mm. A production bottleneck observed on shuttle machines is that the high molecular weight of GF4960 increases parison length stability, but the same high viscosity can produce die lines when the die gap is below 1.2 mm; these die lines act as stress concentrators along the vertical wall and can reduce burst pressure by 10–15% relative to parts run with a higher die gap and larger blow ratio.
Heavy-gauge HDPE sheet for industrial dunnage and material-handling pallet decks uses GF4960 at 100 phr, regrind at 25–50 wt% from edge trim, antioxidant at 0.05–0.15 wt%, colour masterbatch at 1–3 wt%, and, when the thermoformed articles are stored outdoors, 0.2–0.5 wt% UV stabilizer. The compliance framework is structural rather than packaging: ISO 527-2:2019 tensile strain at yield, ISO 178:2019 flexural modulus, and ISO 75-1:2020 HDT are the primary engineering criteria. Sheet is extruded through 100–150 mm barrier screws with L/D 30:1–36:1, a screen pack of 60/100/60 mesh, and a three-roll stack set at 80–100°C to control sheet curl. Sheet thickness ranges from 4 mm to 12 mm; thermoforming uses twin-sided ovens at 150–165°C core temperature, with aluminium tooling at 50–70°C and vacuum levels of −0.08 MPa. The terminal articles are thermoformed pallet decks, separator sheets, and industrial dunnage boards with dimensions up to 1,200 mm × 1,000 mm. The primary process failure occurs when sheet core temperature exceeds 165°C because the high molecular weight distribution produces excessive sag in the oven; the sheet then draws thin at the pallet foot locations, reducing local flexural strength below design load by more than 20%.
When the converter moves from 120–220 L drums to large closed-head containers exceeding 220 L, GF4960 is run at 100 phr with regrind limited to ≤30 wt%, antioxidant at 0.08–0.15 wt%, UV stabilizer at 0.2–0.5 wt%, and pigment masterbatch at 1–3 wt%. The governing standard for dangerous goods packaging no longer relies only on UN 6.1.5.2; for larger rigid plastics packagings, type-approval tests expand to include stacking load, vibration, and pressure cycling, with hydraulic test durations frequently extended to 30 min. Production is performed on high-output shuttle blow moulders with 90–120 mm extruders, accumulator heads from 5–10 kg, and clamp force from 1,500–2,500 kN. Melt temperature is held at 185–210°C, mould temperature at 10–25°C, and wall thickness at 4–8 mm. The terminal products are closed-head drums of 220–250 L and large-format transport containers where the top chime and bottom chime are pinch-welded to the body. Pinch-weld strength is tested under ASTM D638-14 with specimens cut transverse to the weld; weld-line elongation below 5% is rejected even when the parent material exceeds 500%. Published data for this specific GF4960 configuration in containers above 220 L is limited, and converter qualifications typically add a −18°C drop test on the bottom chime because that zone exhibits the highest frozen-in stress from the accumulator head.
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Braskem HDPE GF4960 is an injection-molding grade high-density polyethylene positioned within the high-flow segment of the supplier’s HDPE portfolio. The grade is identified by a nominal density of 0.956 g/cm³ when tested under ASTM D1505, and a melt flow index in the representative range of 20–35 g/10 min when measured at 190 °C/2.16 kg under ASTM D1238. Published data for a specific production lot is limited to the certificate of analysis; values reproduced in general technical literature should be verified against the current Braskem datasheet before mold design, process qualification, or regulatory submission.
The high flow derives from controlled molecular weight management and a narrow molecular weight distribution. This reduces shear viscosity during filling and permits shorter injection times in thin-wall tooling, but it also reduces chain entanglement density. The trade-off places GF4960 below extrusion blow-molding grades and high-molecular-weight film grades in melt strength and environmental stress crack resistance, while it remains suitable for rigid thin-wall packaging, housewares, closures, and fast-filling injection-molded components. Supplier literature indicates tensile yield strength in the range of 22–27 MPa under ASTM D638, and secant flexural modulus above 1,000 MPa under ASTM D790. Notched Izod impact at 23 °C under ASTM D256 is lower than that of a 20 g/10 min HDPE control because the high-molecular-weight fraction is reduced.
The performance separation begins with viscosity. Under equal melt temperature and injection speed, a 20 g/10 min general-purpose grade retains higher melt viscosity and therefore requires greater injection pressure through thin gates below 1.0 mm. GF4960, with its higher melt flow index, lowers pressure drop through runner and gate restrictions and shortens plasticating time. Production lines with hot-runner valve gates and wall thickness below 0.8 mm can observe reduced fill-to-pack transition pressure, but the exact pressure reduction is tool-specific and must be confirmed with cavity-pressure transducers. Published data for a particular multi-cavity configuration is limited; cycle-time gains are not a general material property and depend on gate diameter, flow length, mold steel temperature, and screw condition.
The mechanical consequence of the higher flow is most visible in impact and stress-cracking behavior. Notched Izod impact under ASTM D256 at 23 °C is typically 15–30% lower than that of a 20 g/10 min control at equivalent density. Environmental stress crack resistance measured by ASTM D1693 condition B is also reduced in proportion to the loss of high-molecular-weight tie molecules. The grade compensates with better flow-length-to-wall-thickness capability, lower manifold pressure during sequential valve-gate filling, and reduced clamp-force requirement on large multi-cavity tools.
| Property | Test method | GF4960 representative range | General-purpose 20 g/10 min HDPE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melt flow rate | ASTM D1238, 190 °C/2.16 kg | 20–35 g/10 min | 18–22 g/10 min |
| Density | ASTM D1505 | 0.954–0.958 g/cm³ | 0.952–0.956 g/cm³ |
| Tensile yield strength | ASTM D638 | 22–27 MPa | 25–28 MPa |
| Secant flexural modulus | ASTM D790 | 1,000–1,300 MPa | 1,100–1,350 MPa |
| Notched Izod impact at 23 °C | ASTM D256 | 15–30 J/m | 25–40 J/m |
In thin-wall part filling simulations, the dominant variables are viscosity, pressure drop, and gate freeze time. GF4960 responds to the high shear rates encountered in thin-gated runner systems with a measurable reduction in injection pressure compared with a 20 g/10 min grade at the same melt temperature. The narrow molecular weight distribution reduces the population of very long chains that contribute to elasticity and die swell, which is beneficial for controlled filling but undesirable in blow molding or film processes. Capillary rheometry data at 190 °C and shear rates between 1,000 s⁻¹ and 10,000 s⁻¹ place the high-flow grade below the 20 g/10 min control in steady-shear viscosity, with the gap narrowing at very high shear rates because molecular weight distribution influences the power-law behavior of the melt.
Process settings for GF4960 should maintain a melt temperature between 190 °C and 230 °C as measured by a purge pyrometer. Lower melt temperature reduces cycle time but increases cavity-pressure requirement and can raise residual stress in thick ribs or boss features. Mold temperatures of 15–35 °C are common for rapid skin formation; for parts with wall thickness below 1.0 mm, an elevated mold temperature up to 40 °C may improve gate-area surface appearance at the cost of longer cooling time. Screw recovery should be checked with a screw speed that avoids recovery stroke times exceeding the cooling timer, because a high-flow HDPE melt under low backpressure is prone to air entrainment and feed-zone instability. A general-purpose screw with 20:1 L/D and compression ratio near 2.5:1 is adequate for many shot sizes, while a barrier screw improves output stability when shot size exceeds 50% of barrel capacity.
Post-mold shrinkage under ASTM D955 typically falls within 0.015–0.030 mm/mm for a test plaque, depending on hold pressure, gate diameter, and part thickness. Higher holding pressure reduces shrinkage in the flow direction but can increase residual stress; differential shrinkage between flow and cross-flow directions can reach 0.005 mm/mm if gate geometry is unbalanced. Dimensional validation should include conditioning at 23 ± 2 °C and 50 ± 5% relative humidity according to ISO 291, followed by coordinate measurement after 24 h to stabilize short-term crystallization and thermal contraction.
Where GF4960 is used for caps, closures, or single-use food-contact packaging, the base resin is typically listed as an olefin polymer under FDA 21 CFR 177.1520(c), subject to end-testing for overall migration and organoleptics under EU Regulation 10/2011 where applicable. The converter retains responsibility for verifying migration limits because slip agents, colorants, or nucleating agents introduced downstream can shift the final article’s regulatory status. REACH and RoHS compliance for the neat resin should be confirmed against the current extended safety datasheet; the grade is not inherently flame-retardant and should not be used in applications requiring UL 94 V-0 unless compounded with a flame-retardant package. For medical device housing evaluations, ISO 10993-5 cytotoxicity and ISO 10993-10 irritation data may be requested from the supplier, but the supplied pellet is not sterile and must be validated in the finished molded component.
Regulatory positioning for GF4960 must be derived from the supplier’s product stewardship documentation. The base resin may satisfy food-contact use as an olefin polymer under FDA 21 CFR 177.1520(c) when the final article is tested for end-use compliance. European converters should review EU Regulation 10/2011, particularly the overall migration limit of 10 mg/dm² and any specific migration limits applicable to additives. REACH registration and RoHS heavy-metal restrictions should be confirmed through the extended safety data sheet; converter-added regrind, processing aids, or color concentrates can move the final article out of the stated compliance profile.
| Attribute | Reference standard | Typical condition |
|---|---|---|
| Melt flow index | ISO 1133-1:2022 / ASTM D1238 | 190 °C/2.16 kg |
| Density | ISO 1183-1:2019 / ASTM D1505 | 23 °C |
| Tensile yield | ISO 527-2 / ASTM D638 | 50 mm/min |
| Flexural modulus | ISO 178 / ASTM D790 | 2 mm/min |
| Notched Izod impact | ISO 180/A / ASTM D256 | 23 °C |
| Vicat softening temperature | ISO 306/A120 / ASTM D1525 | 10 N, 120 K/h |
| Heat deflection temperature | ISO 75-2/B / ASTM D648 | 0.455 MPa |
| Environmental stress crack resistance | ASTM D1693 | Condition B, 100% Igepal CO-630 |
| Food-contact resin status | FDA 21 CFR 177.1520(c) / EU Regulation 10/2011 | End-use migration testing required |
For thin-wall container packaging, the primary quality metrics are top-load strength, drop impact, and closure torque retention. Top-load performance depends on sidewall geometry and density more than on melt-flow index alone; a ribbed container with wall thickness of 0.7 mm molded from GF4960 can be evaluated according to ASTM D2659 or ISO 12048, but the pass criterion is geometry-specific rather than resin-specific. Drop impact at 4 °C is typically evaluated with ASTM D2463 or an internal drop protocol; a high-flow HDPE grade generally exhibits lower low-temperature drop impact than a 20 g/10 min unimodal control. Closure torque retention in HDPE is influenced by creep under stress and by stress-cracking resistance; qualification for heavily torqued closures should include ASTM D1693 ESCR screening and a torque-retention study at 40 °C for at least 7 days.
Direct substitution is generally feasible in thin-wall packaging tools because the viscosity is lower and hot-runner pressure drop declines. Production lines with hot-runner valve gates and wall thickness between 0.5 mm and 0.8 mm often observe stable filling at reduced transfer pressure; however, the pack and hold phase must be recalibrated. High-flow grades can exhibit earlier gate freeze and reduced linear shrinkage. If hold pressure is not adjusted, sink marks over ribs and bosses may deepen because melt cannot be replenished after gate freeze. Process engineers should record in-mold cavity pressure with pressure transducers and set hold time to cover gate-freeze time plus 0.2–0.5 s; excessive hold time adds cycle time without producing a corresponding dimensional benefit.
Warpage tends to be lower in flat thin-wall plaques with uniform wall sections, but thick rib intersections still create differential cooling. Cooling-channel design should provide turbulent flow with Reynolds number above 10,000 to keep mold surface temperature variation below ±5 °C across the cavity. Ejection force may rise slightly because the lower molecular weight fraction reduces surface oil exudation and can lower surface slip during part release; draft angles and venting should be reviewed before qualification runs.
Because GF4960 is an injection-molding HDPE with intentionally low melt strength, it is not suitable for extrusion blow molding, film blowing, or pipe extrusion. Attempts to use the grade in blow molding lines with annular dies typically produce unstable parisons and poor wall-thickness control at take-off speeds above 500 mm/s; published data for this specific configuration is limited, but the failure mode is consistent with the high melt-flow index. The grade is also not recommended for long-term pressure-pipe applications requiring ISO 9080 hydrostatic strength at 20 °C and 50-year design life because of reduced slow crack growth resistance relative to PE100-class bimodal HDPE.
Although HDPE is not considered hygroscopic, storage in relative humidity above 60% can deposit surface moisture on pellets. Pre-drying at 70–80 °C for 1–2 h in a desiccant hopper dryer is required to prevent splay and surface defects in thin-wall parts. Direct contact with strong oxidizing agents, chlorinated hydrocarbons, and high-aromatic hydrocarbon streams in service should be avoided because these agents can accelerate environmental stress cracking. The use of post-consumer recycle with GF4960 should be limited to controlled streams below 30 wt% in non-food-contact applications unless the recycle is food-contact-approved; visual defects, odor, and batch-to-batch viscosity variation appear in proportion to recycle quality and are not controlled by the virgin resin supplier.
