Braskem HDPE HE150 is classified as a high-density polyethylene homopolymer produced for high-velocity injection moulding. The grade designation HE150 identifies a medium-high-flow resin within the Braskem polyethylene portfolio, supplied as natural pellets and commonly dry-blended with colour masterbatch before processing. Typical property data are shown in Table 1; these values are derived from the manufacturer’s published technical bulletin and represent lot averages rather than guaranteed specification limits. The density of 0.959 g/cm³ under ASTM D1505 and the melt flow rate of 15 g/10 min at 190 °C/2.16 kg under ASTM D1238 are the primary lot-release indicators. The tensile yield stress under ASTM D638 is reported in the range of 27–29 MPa, and the flexural modulus under ASTM D790 is reported in the range of 1,200–1,400 MPa. These values position HE150 for rigid thin-wall containers, stackable crates, houseware components, closures and industrial parts in which fast filling and flatness after ejection are significant manufacturing constraints.

On commercial injection lines, batch-to-batch variation is monitored primarily by melt flow rate and density. When a stackable crate with a nominal wall thickness of 2.0 mm is moulded on a hydraulic machine with clamp force of 3500 kN, a melt flow shift from 14 g/10 min to 17 g/10 min can reduce the holding-pressure demand by approximately 5–8 MPa because the lower-viscosity melt transmits pressure to the cavity for a longer period before gate freeze-off. The same shift may reduce notched impact retention by several percent because molecular weight distribution is altered. Process-control limits for melt flow index on incoming lots should therefore be set at ±2.0 g/10 min or tighter when used for load-bearing crates. Screw recovery time and check-ring wear on reciprocating machines introduce additional pressure variation of 5–10 MPa between machines of the same nominal specification; this equipment variance is generally larger than the property difference between consecutive HE150 lots.

What Does the Melt Flow Profile of Braskem HDPE HE150 Indicate About Processability and Molecular Architecture?

The 15 g/10 min melt flow rate under ASTM D1238 places HE150 in the high-flow segment of high-density polyethylene injection grades. Conventional blow-moulding and film grades typically exhibit melt flow rates below 1.0 g/10 min when measured under the same procedure; the higher melt flow index of HE150 reduces apparent viscosity at the shear rates encountered in injection mould filling. Under ISO 1133-1:2022, specification audits may use melt volume-flow rate rather than mass-flow rate; the conversion uses the melt density at the test temperature, which for high-density polyethylene is taken as approximately 0.763 g/cm³ at 190 °C. The melt flow profile is compatible with thin-wall filling but should not be interpreted as a full viscosity curve, because low-shear melt strength and extensional viscosity are not captured by the melt flow rate test. This molecular architecture prioritises flow length and rapid cycle turnaround over parison stability; HE150 is therefore not interchangeable with low-flow HDPE blow-moulding grades despite a similar density range.

A hydraulic injection moulding machine with a clamp force of 3500 kN and a general-purpose screw of 20:1 L/D can process HE150 inside a melt temperature window from 180 °C to 230 °C. A barrel temperature profile of 200 °C in the feed zone, 210 °C in the compression zone and 220 °C in the metering zone is typically used to balance screw torque and melt homogeneity; machines with worn check rings may require a 5–10 °C reduction in the metering zone to avoid excessive leakage flow during hold. Mould temperatures between 10 °C and 40 °C are used depending on part thickness. Below 10 °C, condensation can occur in high-humidity production halls, generating surface defects; above 40 °C, cycle time increases without proportional improvement in mechanical properties. Pre-drying is not required at controlled relative humidity below 60%. Above this limit, hopper drying at 80 °C for 2 hours reduces surface splay in parts with wall thickness below 1.5 mm. The upper melt temperature should remain below 250 °C; at higher temperatures or residence times exceeding 10 minutes, oxidative degradation increases yellowness and decreases notched impact strength. The material is incompatible with strong oxidising agents, and high-temperature amine-containing additives can accelerate degradation; additive packages should be evaluated by melt flow drift and carbonyl index increase under ASTM D5576.

Regrind incorporation alters the flow-impact balance of HE150. On a twin-screw compounding line with a 44:1 L/D corotating machine and high-shear dispersion zones, addition of regrind at 20% by mass can reduce notched Izod impact by approximately 5–10% relative to virgin pellets, depending on regrind particle size and thermal history. Published data for HE150-specific regrind retention is limited; converters commonly validate regrind ratios between 10% and 20% by mass for non-load-bearing housewares and containers. For load-bearing crates or cold-chain applications, the regrind fraction should be reduced until impact retention, environmental stress crack resistance and melt flow drift are confirmed on production tooling.

Comparative Differentiation in the Braskem HDPE Injection-Moulding Portfolio

Relative to low-flow blow-moulding HDPE grades with melt flow rates below 1.0 g/10 min, HE150 reduces injection pressure and fill time but sacrifices melt strength, environmental stress crack resistance and notched impact under identical test conditions. Relative to high-flow HDPE grades with melt flow rates in the 30–45 g/10 min range, HE150 retains higher notched Izod impact and better dimensional flatness in moderately thin sections. The differences are summarised in Table 2.

Regulatory documentation for Braskem HDPE HE150 follows the standard olefin polymer framework. Food-contact suitability in the United States is evaluated under FDA 21 CFR 177.1520(c), which covers high-density polyethylene articles intended for contact with food. European compliance is determined under EU Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 as amended; the overall migration limit is 10 mg/dm² for articles with a surface-to-volume ratio below 600 dm²/kg, or 60 mg/kg of food simulant for smaller or thicker articles. Base resin food-contact declarations do not automatically cover finished articles that contain colour masterbatch, processing aids or recycled material; the article manufacturer is responsible for migration testing under the intended worst-case time–temperature profile. Under REACH, the resin is registered under EC 1907/2006. Under RoHS, high-density polyethylene is generally below the maximum concentration values in Directive 2011/65/EU when lead, cadmium, mercury, hexavalent chromium, PBB and PBDE are not intentionally added. Migration kinetics of low-molecular-weight oligomers into fatty food simulants accelerate with contact temperature above 40 °C; stability of the finished article should be verified for hot-fill or heated-service applications.

When Cycle Time Targets Fall Below 12 Seconds in Thin-Wall Packaging

For a cylindrical container with 1.2 mm nominal wall thickness and 120 mm flow length, the flow length-to-wall-thickness ratio is 100:1. At this ratio, a melt flow rate of 15 g/10 min supports filling before the gate freezes, permitting cycle time targets below 12 seconds on a 3500 kN hydraulic injection machine. Mould cooling circuits should be designed for turbulent flow with Reynolds numbers above 10,000 to maintain cavity wall temperature within ±5 °C across the part. Flat lids and thin plaques are sensitive to differential shrinkage; a lower melt temperature near 200 °C and a mould temperature near 25 °C reduce post-ejection warpage by minimising orientation release and thermal contraction. When part weight is held constant, shorter hold-pressure time at 2–4 seconds reduces gate freeze-off cycle time but increases sink-mark risk over ribs and bosses. Published data for specific mould geometries is limited; process development on prototype tooling is required because gate geometry, hot-runner manifold temperature and wall-thickness transitions alter the relationship between MFR and cavity pressure. Compared with a low-flow HDPE grade, HE150 lowers fill pressure and enables thinner wall stock, but flash at worn parting lines becomes more likely; clamp force must be matched to projected area and cavity pressure.

Environmental stress crack resistance data for HE150 is not necessarily supplied on the general-purpose injection moulding datasheet. High-density polyethylene homopolymer typically exhibits lower ESCR than high-density polyethylene copolymer grades when tested under ASTM D1693 with stress-cracking agents such as nonylphenol ethoxylate. Applications involving continuous contact with surfactants, alcohols or vegetable oil should include bent-strip ESCR testing at the intended service temperature, commonly 50 °C, and for a duration consistent with the product life. The notched Izod impact of approximately 40 J/m under ASTM D256 applies to standard specimens at 23 °C; sub-zero impact should be verified separately because the ductile-to-brittle transition temperature of high-density polyethylene depends on molecular weight, cooling rate and thermal history. Recycled content addition above 20% by mass should trigger revalidation of melt flow drift, impact retention and odour generation on production tooling, because residual contamination and shear history from post-consumer regrind alter the molecular weight distribution and part performance.