| HS Code | 330302 |
| Density | 0.93 g/cm³ |
| Molecular Weight | 4.0 × 10^6 g/mol |
| Bulk Density | 0.43 g/cm³ |
| Average Particle Size | 120 µm |
| Melting Point | 135 °C |
| Crystallization Temperature | 115 °C |
| Crystallinity | 45-50% |
| Tensile Modulus | 680 MPa |
| Tensile Stress At Break | 40 MPa |
| Elongation At Break | 350% |
| Charpy Notched Impact Strength | No break |
| Water Absorption | <0.01% |
| Shore D Hardness | 62 |
| Thermal Conductivity | 0.41 W/(m·K) |
| Specific Heat | 1.8 kJ/(kg·K) |
| Coefficient Of Friction | 0.1-0.2 |
| Volume Resistivity | >10^14 Ω·cm |
| Dielectric Constant | 2.3 |
| Thermal Expansion Coefficient | 150 × 10^-6 /K |
As an accredited Celanese UHMW-PE 4012 ECO-B factory, we enforce strict quality protocols—every batch undergoes rigorous testing to ensure consistent efficacy and safety standards.
| Packing | Celanese UHMW-PE 4012 ECO-B is supplied in 25 kg polyethylene-lined paper bags, palletized and shrink-wrapped for industrial handling. |
| Container Loading (20′ FCL) | 20′ FCL loads approximately 15 MT of Celanese UHMW-PE 4012 ECO-B, typically 600 × 25 kg bags, loose or palletized as required. |
| Shipping | Celanese UHMW-PE 4012 ECO-B is a non-hazardous, non-regulated ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene. It typically ships in multi-wall bags, fiber drums, or bulk supersacks on pallets, via dry containers or covered trucks. Keep dry and away from heat, moisture, and UV; no special placarding or temperature control is generally required. |
| Storage | Store Celanese UHMW-PE 4012 ECO-B in a cool, dry, well-ventilated warehouse, away from direct sunlight, heat, flames, and strong oxidizing agents. Keep original packaging closed and clean to prevent moisture, dust, and contamination. Avoid prolonged high temperatures. Use first-in, first-out stock rotation. Do not stack beyond safe limits. Protect from UV and follow the safety data sheet and local regulations. |
| Shelf Life | Celanese UHMW-PE 4012 ECO-B: stable under normal storage; indefinite shelf life if kept cool, dry, protected from UV in original packaging. |
For lithium-ion battery separator film, 4012 ECO-B is processed by gel-phase extrusion rather than conventional melt casting. A formulation contains 15–30 wt% UHMW-PE dispersed in a low-volatility aliphatic process oil; the suspension is homogenised in a co-rotating twin-screw extruder with an L/D ratio of 48–52 and barrel zones held between 150 °C and 180 °C. Melt temperature is kept below 200 °C because oxidative chain scission lowers molecular weight and reduces tensile strength on the finished film measured according to ISO 527-3. The gel sheet is cast through a T-die with a die gap of 300–1 200 µm onto a polished chill roll at 20–40 °C, then extracted in a countercurrent bath of methylene chloride or n-hexane until residual oil content falls below 0.1 wt%. The extracted sheet is biaxially stretched in a simultaneous tenter at 90–120 °C to draw ratios between 5×5 and 7×7, followed by heat setting at 110–135 °C at fixed width.
The controlling variable in this route is thermodynamic phase separation in the die land. At polymer concentration of 15–30 wt%, the gel is a thermoreversible network; if the metering zone deviates by more than 5 °C, the viscosity change is sufficient to produce web break or thickness variation. Melt filtration through a screen pack with absolute rating 20–40 µm is placed before the T-die because agglomerated gel particles form pinholes after extraction. Pre-drying of the powder is required when ambient relative humidity exceeds 60%; retained moisture above 0.02 wt% forms steam bubbles in the cast gel. Film thickness measured according to ISO 4593 varies by less than ±2 µm across a 1 000 mm web under stable conditions. The gel network is stabilised by trapped entanglements; reducing polymer concentration lowers zero-shear viscosity but increases extraction shrinkage, while raising concentration improves mechanical strength but narrows the processing window.
Relevant property tests for separator film include tensile strength and elongation by ISO 527-3, thickness profile by ISO 4593, and Gurley air resistance by TAPPI T460 where the cell maker specifies porosity in air-permeance terms. Electrolyte compatibility is checked by immersion in a typical 1 M LiPF6 in EC/DMC electrolyte at 60 °C for 72 h; mass change below 1% indicates acceptable retention. Because the separator is safety-relevant, shrinkage at 105 °C for 1 h must remain below 5% in both machine and transverse directions. Published data for this specific grade in commercial cell configurations is limited; separator producers run pilot trials to establish the exact draw ratio window.
The maximum stable draw ratio in gel-spun filament from 4012 ECO-B is governed by gel homogeneity, residual solvent concentration, and molecular weight distribution rather than by nominal molar mass alone. The spin dope is prepared at 5–10 wt% polymer in decalin or low-volatility paraffin oil under an inert nitrogen purge; dissolution temperature is held between 130 °C and 150 °C for 2–4 h. Oxygen concentration in the headspace above 0.1 vol% causes chain scission and lowers tenacity measured on the final filament by ISO 2062 or ASTM D885M. The solution is filtered through a sintered metal pack with 15–25 µm absolute rating before extrusion through spinneret capillaries of 0.5–1.0 mm diameter and L/D 10–15. As-spun gel filaments are quenched in water at 10–25 °C and drawn in two stages: a first draw ratio of 10–30 at 120–130 °C, followed by a second draw of 1.5–2.5 at 140–150 °C.
Process records from multistage drawing lines indicate that the draw ratio is limited above all by residual process oil. If solvent content in the gel filament before hot drawing exceeds 0.05 wt%, cavitation during drawing creates internal voids and reduces tensile modulus. Another bottleneck is spinneret pressure drift; gel particles above 25 µm raise spin pack pressure by more than 50% over an 8 h campaign, forcing a screen change. Filaments with tenacity of 3.0–3.5 GPa and modulus above 80 GPa are achieved only when draw ratio exceeds 40 and residual solvent is below 0.05 wt%. Avoid chlorinated solvents after gel formation; rapid swelling collapses the gel network and destroys orientation. Melt flow rate by ISO 1133-1 is not applicable to this grade; solution viscosity and viscosity number by ISO 1628-3 are used for resin lot release.
In ram extrusion of UHMW-PE wear profiles, the powder is compacted in a heated die at 15–30 MPa and sintered in the 180–220 °C zone rather than melt-plastified by a screw. A hydraulic ram extruder with a reciprocating plunger and a die land length of 500–800 mm creates the back pressure needed to eliminate voids. The profile is cooled at 10–20 °C/min under 5–10 MPa back pressure; faster cooling produces warpage and residual stress. Typical products are chain guides, wear strips, guide rails, and star wheels for bottling, packaging, and automotive assembly lines. Tensile yield stress measured by ISO 527-3 is in the 17–25 MPa range, elongation at break exceeds 250%, and Shore D hardness by ISO 868 is 60–70. Resin lot conformance to ASTM D4020 and specimen preparation by ISO 11542-2 are used for incoming inspection. Continuous operating temperature under load should remain below 80 °C; compressive creep accelerates above this boundary. Do not add external lubricants because they inhibit interparticle fusion in the sintering zone.
Compression moulding of hopper liners and chute pads from 4012 ECO-B is carried out at 190–205 °C under 10–15 MPa, with cooling to 50 °C under pressure to prevent void formation and internal stress. The mould charge must be pre-dried when relative humidity exceeds 60%; residual moisture above 0.02 wt% causes visible bubbles in the finished sheet. Mould release agents containing silicone are avoided because they migrate and reduce friction properties measured by ISO 8295. Against polished carbon steel, the dynamic coefficient of friction is 0.10–0.15. Volumetric abrasion loss in dry sand service is evaluated by ASTM G65 Procedure A; UHMW-PE liners show lower volume loss than structural carbon steel under the same load. Thermal expansion must be accommodated in the mounted liner; the linear coefficient of thermal expansion measured by ISO 11359-2 is 1.5–2.0 × 10−4 K−1. Aromatic solvents and strong oxidising acids degrade or swell the liner and are outside the recommended service envelope.
| Property | Test standard | Typical acceptance range |
|---|---|---|
| Resin classification | ASTM D4020 | PE-UHMW |
| Density | ISO 1183-1 | 0.93–0.94 g/cm³ |
| Tensile yield stress | ISO 527-3 | 17–25 MPa |
| Elongation at break | ISO 527-3 | > 250% |
| Shore D hardness | ISO 868 | 60–70 |
| Dynamic coefficient of friction vs carbon steel | ISO 8295 | 0.10–0.15 |
| Linear thermal expansion coefficient | ISO 11359-2 | 1.5–2.0 × 10−4 K−1 |
Aeration plates made from 4012 ECO-B are produced by free sintering of a narrow particle-size fraction rather than by fully compacted moulding. Powder with a particle-size cut of 100–250 µm is filled into a flat mould to uniform depth and sintered at 180–210 °C for 10–30 min at pressures of 0.1–1.0 MPa. The resulting pore size is controlled by particle size distribution and fill density; a fill-density variation of ±2% across a 600 mm × 600 mm plate changes air permeability by approximately 10–15%. Air permeability is measured by ISO 4022, bubble point by ISO 4003, and pore-size distribution by mercury intrusion according to ISO 15901-1. Applications include aeration diffusers in wastewater basins, vacuum hold-down tables, fluidising plates in powder conveying, and filter support plates. The porous sheet has lower tensile strength than solid ram-extruded profiles by a factor of 2–5 because interparticle fusion is intentionally incomplete; design pressure differentials should not exceed 50 kPa unless supported by a perforated backing plate. Published data for this specific grade in porous sheet form is limited; pilot sintering trials are required to establish the exact fill mass and sintering time.
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Celanese UHMW-PE 4012 ECO-B is a virgin ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene powder grade within the GUR series. The 4012 designation identifies a lower solution-viscosity class than the 4120 and 4150 grades, which places the material in a processing window where compression moulding and ram extrusion can achieve full consolidation at moderate pressure while retaining the impact and abrasion characteristics associated with PE-UHMW rather than conventional HDPE. The ECO-B suffix denotes a renewable feedstock or mass-balance pathway; biobased carbon fraction is quantified by ASTM D6866-22 Method B. Published data for this specific ECO-B formulation is limited, and the exact renewable carbon content must be obtained from the current Celanese certificate of analysis or product datasheet.
Specification-relevant values for unfilled 4012-class material include a moulded density of 0.93–0.94 g/cm³ (ISO 1183-1:2019), tensile yield stress of 20–24 MPa (ISO 527-2/1B/50), tensile elongation at break greater than 200%, Shore D hardness of 60–64 (ISO 868:2003), and solution viscosity number in the range 1400–1700 cm³/g (ISO 1628-3:2010). Because UHMW-PE cannot be characterised by a meaningful melt flow rate, the viscosity number is the controlling molar-mass indicator. The powder bulk density is usually 0.43–0.47 g/cm³ (ISO 60:1977), and the particle size distribution is controlled to support consistent metering and compaction. These values are not specification limits unless stated on the lot certificate of analysis.
| Property | Test method | Typical range | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moulded density | ISO 1183-1:2019 | 0.93–0.94 | g/cm³ |
| Tensile yield stress | ISO 527-2/1B/50 | 20–24 | MPa |
| Tensile elongation at break | ISO 527-2 | >200 | % |
| Shore D hardness | ISO 868:2003 | 60–64 | Shore D |
| Solution viscosity number | ISO 1628-3:2010 | 1400–1700 | cm³/g |
| Powder bulk density | ISO 60:1977 | 0.43–0.47 | g/cm³ |
| Melting peak temperature | ISO 11357-3:2018 | 130–135 | °C |
The principal intra-family variable is molar mass. The lower viscosity number of 4012 ECO-B corresponds to a shorter entangled chain network and faster interparticle reptation at a given sintering temperature. On a compression press, a peak pressure of 5–12 MPa at 180–220°C typically produces lower void content in 4012 than in 4150; the technical penalty is a measurable reduction in ultimate abrasion resistance under the same wear mode. In comparative pin-on-disk testing under ASTM G99-17, 4150-class material usually exhibits a lower steady-state wear rate against hardened steel, but the ranking can reverse if the 4012 part is moulded with lower internal porosity. Published data for this specific ECO-B variant is limited; comparative wear curves should be generated on the same equipment because wear rankings are sensitive to counterface roughness, test speed, and contact pressure.
In ram extrusion, the powder is fed into a heated barrel with alternating compaction and coalescence zones. The barrel wall is controlled at 180–230°C, while the die land is held at 190–210°C. Industrial units with ram diameters from 50 mm to 315 mm commonly operate at extrusion pressures between 30 MPa and 80 MPa. The 4012 class allows a lower peak pressure or slightly higher output than 4150, but pressures below 20 MPa can generate incomplete interparticle diffusion and axial weld lines. Peak temperature control is critical: below 180°C the self-diffusion rate is too low for complete particle coalescence, while exposure above 230°C accelerates oxidative chain scission and discolouration. The practical processing window is therefore narrower than for HDPE and is often managed within ±5°C at the die wall.
Interparticle diffusion is rate-limited by chain reptation. The self-diffusion coefficient of molten polyethylene scales approximately with the inverse square of molar mass, so the lower 4012 viscosity class consolidates faster than 4150 at equivalent temperature. This advantage can be lost if the heating rate collapses the powder bed prematurely and traps air. Compression moulding therefore uses controlled heating at 5–10 K/min to a peak of 180–220°C, followed by cooling under 5–15 MPa. Holding time is scaled at approximately 10 min per 10 mm of thickness. Demoulding before the centre-line temperature falls below 120°C can cause residual stress and distortion. Crystallisation occurs predominantly between 120–130°C; crystallinity measured by first-heating DSC is typically 45–55% using 293 J/g as the reference enthalpy for fully crystalline polyethylene.
The unlubricated dynamic coefficient of friction against polished steel is commonly in the range 0.10–0.20. The grade is not intended for unlubricated high PV service; continuous dry service is generally restricted to 0.1–0.3 MPa·m/s depending on ambient cooling and part geometry. Water or aqueous lubrication can increase permissible PV by roughly an order of magnitude. The upper continuous-use temperature under low load is approximately 80°C; at 100°C creep rate increases markedly and compressive strength falls. Load-bearing designs should use tensile creep modulus data generated by ISO 899-2:2003 or compressive creep data from ASTM D2990 rather than short-term modulus values. The glass transition temperature is near -120°C, which preserves impact behaviour at cryogenic service temperatures, although thermal contraction and clearance changes must be managed in metal-backed assemblies.
Industrial applications include wear guides, chain guides, star wheels, scraper blades, and bulk solids lining segments. The certificate of analysis should record viscosity number, density, ash content, and moisture. Ash content for virgin ECO-B material is typically below 0.1 wt% (ISO 3451-1:2019). The renewable feedstock does not eliminate the need for stabilisation in aggressive environments. Hot chlorinated and aromatic hydrocarbon streams can swell the polymer; concentrated nitric acid attacks at temperatures above 60°C. Natural unstabilised material has limited ultraviolet resistance and requires carbon black or a suitable UV stabiliser package for outdoor use. Flame or corona treatment of finished surfaces is not recommended where tight dimensional tolerance or food-contact compliance is required.
Compliance is article-specific and cannot be presumed from resin selection alone. For food-contact applications, the base olefin polymer is evaluated under FDA 21 CFR 177.1520 and EU Regulation 10/2011, with final testing dependent on the contact food simulant and time-temperature conditions. For medical applications, a biological evaluation under ISO 10993-1:2018 may be required, but the ECO-B feedstock path and any stabiliser residues must be disclosed because they can influence leachables. Implant-grade UHMW-PE is controlled by ASTM F648-21 or ISO 5834-2:2019; 4012 ECO-B should not be represented as implant-grade unless the specific lot and packaging are certified to those standards. Renewable carbon content is documented by ASTM D6866-22 Method B or ISO 16620-2:2019.
| Requirement area | Standard or regulation | Reference point |
|---|---|---|
| Food-contact olefin polymer | FDA 21 CFR 177.1520 | Resin compliance article |
| EU plastic food-contact materials | EU Regulation 10/2011 | Overall and specific migration |
| Biobased carbon | ASTM D6866-22 Method B | Radiocarbon measurement |
| Medical device biological evaluation | ISO 10993-1:2018 | Article-specific endpoints |
| Implant-grade UHMW-PE | ASTM F648-21, ISO 5834-2:2019 | Certified finished material |
| UHMW-PE material specification | ASTM D4020-20 | Classification and properties |
Production-scale ram extrusion of 4012 ECO-B indicates that powder lot variability in bulk density and particle shape contributes more to internal voiding than the biobased feedstock itself. A bulk density shift of 0.03 g/cm³ from hopper settling can change compaction ratio and create density gradients in the extrudate. Feed-hopper vibration and anti-bridging devices are required when the angle of repose exceeds 45°. In compression moulding, surface blowholes can occur if moisture condenses on cold powder transferred from low-temperature storage; when relative humidity exceeds 60%, powder should be allowed to reach room temperature before opening the bag and feeding the tool. Pre-drying is not normally required because moisture absorption is below 0.01 wt% at 23°C and 50% relative humidity.
Compared with acetal homopolymer, 4012 ECO-B has lower dynamic friction and better low-temperature impact, but lower tensile modulus and lower continuous-use temperature. Compared with PTFE, it provides higher abrasion resistance but higher static friction and a lower upper service temperature. Compared with bio-based HDPE, the UHMW-PE architecture is defined by a solution viscosity number above 1000 cm³/g; conventional HDPE is typically below 400 cm³/g, and the high entanglement density prevents ordinary screw and injection-moulding processing. The material is therefore converted into finished stock shapes by compression moulding, ram extrusion, and machining rather than by conventional thermoplastic screw extrusion.
Because the ECO-B suffix denotes a renewable feedstock route rather than a separate polymer architecture, density, tensile, and hardness values of 4012 ECO-B are expected to overlap with conventional 4012 within normal lot-to-lot variation. Where a specification requires proof of biobased content, chain-of-custody documentation should be requested from the resin supplier and maintained under ISO 22095:2020 or the certification scheme used for mass balance. Published data for this specific configuration is limited, and the absence of a supplier-reported value for a property should not be filled with generic UHMW-PE data in a regulated application.
