| HS Code | 529626 |
| Product | LyondellBasell LLDPE Icorene 3590 |
| Resin Type | Linear Low Density Polyethylene (LLDPE) |
| Density G Cm³ | 0.938 |
| Melt Index G 10 Min At 190 C 2 16 Kg | 3.5 |
| Tensile Yield Strength Mpa | 15.2 |
| Elongation At Break | 350 |
| Flexural Modulus Mpa | 550 |
| Shore D Hardness | 58 |
| Vicat Softening Point C | 120 |
| Brittleness Temperature C | -75 |
| Escr F50 Hours | >1000 |
| Impact Strength Arm 40 C J | 45 |
As an accredited LyondellBasell LLDPE Icorene 3590 factory, we enforce strict quality protocols—every batch undergoes rigorous testing to ensure consistent efficacy and safety standards.
| Packing | LyondellBasell LLDPE Icorene 3590 is packaged as 25 kg bags, typically 40 bags per pallet, totaling 1000 kg. |
| Container Loading (20′ FCL) | 20′ FCL: LyondellBasell LLDPE Icorene 3590 loaded on pallets, secured, in 20-foot container for safe transport. |
| Shipping | LyondellBasell LLDPE Icorene 3590 is shipped as free-flowing resin pellets in multi-ply paper or polyethylene bags, bulk bags, or railcars. It is non-hazardous under normal transport, but must be kept dry and protected from moisture, dust, and contamination during transit and storage. |
| Storage | Store Icorene 3590 LLDPE resin in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area away from direct sunlight, heat, and ignition sources. Keep containers sealed to prevent moisture ingress and contamination. Avoid creating dust clouds; static electricity may ignite fines. Use appropriate grounding equipment and handle with clean, dry tools. |
| Shelf Life | Shelf life is indefinite when stored in dry, cool conditions away from direct sunlight and moisture; keep original packaging sealed. |
For containment vessels requiring long-term environmental stress-cracking resistance, rotational moulding of LyondellBasell Icorene 3590 is typically performed on carousel or shuttle machines with internal air purge. The powder is ground so that no more than 10% is retained on a 500 μm sieve and no more than 25% passes a 150 μm sieve; coarser fractions delay the densification stage, while fine fractions trap air and generate inner-wall voids. For a 6 mm nominal wall section, the oven set-point is maintained at 285–300 °C, peak internal air temperature at 190–200 °C, and forced-air cooling at 10–12 °C/min until the mould surface reaches 70 °C. The dry-blend stabilization package consists of 0.10–0.30 wt% hindered phenolic antioxidant and 0.10–0.25 wt% HALS where outdoor UV exposure is specified; for static-conductive bunds, 5–8 wt% conductive carbon black is introduced as a pre-dispersed polyethylene masterbatch. Finished parts are secondary containment bunds and chemical dosing tanks in the 0.5–8.0 m³ range. Compliance for static thermoplastic tanks is assessed under EN 12573-1, and contact with drinking water is evaluated under EU Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 Annex I and FDA 21 CFR 177.1520(c).
| Nominal wall thickness | Oven set-point | Peak internal air temperature | Cooling rate to 70 °C |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 mm | 280–290 °C | 185–195 °C | 8–10 °C/min |
| 6 mm | 285–300 °C | 190–200 °C | 10–12 °C/min |
| 10 mm | 300–310 °C | 200–210 °C | 12–15 °C/min |
Powder stored at relative humidity above 70% should be dried at 80 °C for 2 h before charging; residual surface moisture prevents full particle coalescence and creates microvoids at the inner wall. The oxidation induction time determined by ISO 11357-6 at 200 °C should remain above 20 min; oven residence times beyond 35 min at 300 °C are associated with measurable loss in tensile elongation and an increase in carbonyl index. Tensile yield on rotomoulded 6 mm plaques tested to ISO 527-2:2012 is typically used as a process check; values below 14 MPa indicate incomplete densification or surface oxidation, whereas values above 20 MPa are uncommon for C4-LLDPE of this class.
When the grade is run on a reciprocating screw injection moulding machine with screw L/D 20:1–25:1 and compression ratio 2.5:1–3.0:1, the melt temperature is set at 200–230 °C, the nozzle at 190–210 °C, and the mould coolant at 15–35 °C. Injection pressure is typically 60–90 MPa, holding pressure 40–70 MPa, and hold time 3–8 s/mm of wall thickness; total clamp force is calculated at 4–6 kN/cm² of projected area. The main defect is anisotropic shrinkage in which flow-direction shrinkage exceeds transverse-direction shrinkage by more than 0.8 percentage points; this is controlled by moving the gate to the geometric centre of circular lids or by using dual opposed gates for rectangular containers. A food-contact formulation contains 0.05–0.2 wt% erucamide slip and 0.1–0.3 wt% synthetic silica antiblock, with 2–4 wt% TiO₂ or carbon black masterbatch for tinting and UV screening. Finished components are detergent bottle caps, personal care closures, and thin-walled industrial bins. Mechanical verification follows ISO 527-2:2012 and ASTM D638-14 for tensile properties, with food-contact status evaluated under FDA 21 CFR 177.1520(c) and EU Regulation (EU) No 10/2011. For closures intended for aqueous or acidic foods, overall migration testing under EN 1186-1 is performed with simulant B at 40 °C for 10 days; the limit is 10 mg/dm². Residence time above 15 min at 230 °C should be avoided because melt-flow drift above 0.3 g/10 min indicates oxidative chain scission and may increase closure torque variation.
In twin-screw compounding, the C4-LLDPE is selected as a carrier resin for pigment and mineral concentrates because its semicrystalline morphology promotes filler wetting at barrel temperatures below 210 °C. A co-rotating twin-screw extruder with L/D 44:1 is operated at 500–900 rpm screw speed, with barrels from 170 °C at the feed throat to 210 °C at the die plate; die melt temperature is maintained at 190–210 °C. The formulation consists of 40–65 wt% Icorene 3590, 30–50 wt% pigment or 60–70 wt% calcium carbonate/talc, 3–8 wt% polyethylene wax, and 0.5–1.0 wt% calcium stearate. Dispersive mixing is controlled by kneading-block configuration and vacuum venting at −0.08 MPa to strip volatiles. Finished pellets are typically let down at 2–5 wt% in injection moulding, blown film, or rotomoulding lines. Compliance is governed by REACH EC 1907/2006, RoHS Directive 2011/65/EU, and EN 71-3 migration limits for toy-contact masterbatches. The primary boundary condition is melt-filtration at 100 μm and monitoring of melt-flow drift; a deviation greater than 0.5 g/10 min from the carrier resin specification indicates excessive shear heating or contamination and requires screw-speed reduction.
Blending 70–80 wt% Icorene 3590 with 20–30 wt% LDPE of melt flow rate 0.5–2.0 g/10 min is used for heavy-duty industrial liners and frozen-food bags. The film line is equipped with a die gap of 1.5–2.0 mm, die diameter 200–400 mm, blow-up ratio 2.0:1–3.0:1, and frost-line height 5–8 die diameters. Melt temperature is kept at 195–220 °C; excursions above 230 °C reduce bubble stability and can cause surface oxidation at the nip. Slip and antiblock are added through 1–3 wt% of a masterbatch containing 5–10 wt% silica and 5–10 wt% erucamide, yielding a coefficient of friction below 0.25 when tested by ISO 8295. Erucamide migration to the film surface follows a time–temperature dependence; at 40 °C, equilibrium surface bloom is typically reached within 24–48 h. For frozen-food contact, compliance is evaluated under FDA 21 CFR 177.1520(c) and EU Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 Annex I with specific migration limits for erucamide and silica as listed in the positive list. Published film-grade trial data for Icorene 3590 specifically is limited; these parameters are class-typical for C4-LLDPE of similar melt-flow class and require confirmation on the target extrusion line.
Extrusion lamination of woven polypropylene sacks with C4-LLDPE is run at coating weights of 20–60 g/m² and line speeds of 80–250 m/min. The laminator uses an extruder with L/D 24:1–28:1, melt temperature 240–280 °C, air gap 150–250 mm, and corona or ozone treatment at 2–4 kW to raise the substrate surface energy above 38 mN/m before the melt curtain contacts the woven web. A typical coating formulation contains 1–3 wt% oxidized polyethylene wax to improve fibre wetting while keeping overall migration below 10 mg/dm² under EU Regulation (EU) No 10/2011. Finished structures are used for bulk industrial sacks and pet-food bags; where the coating contacts dry food, FDA 21 CFR 177.1520(c) and extractives testing under ASTM F1349-08 are applicable. The process boundary is neck-in: an air gap above 250 mm can increase neck-in beyond 30 mm on a 1,200 mm die, reducing finished coat width below the reel specification; the gap is narrowed or edge guides are repositioned when this occurs.
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LyondellBasell LLDPE Icorene 3590 is a linear low-density polyethylene grade supplied for rotational molding, thick-section formed parts, and general-purpose industrial vessels in which a melt flow rate of 3.5 g/10 min and a nominal density of 0.936 g/cm³ are required by the part design. The grade is classified as an LLDPE with a linear backbone and short-chain branching; it is distributed primarily in pellet form. Lot-release documentation typically reports melt flow rate under ASTM D1238 at 190 °C with a 2.16 kg load and density under ASTM D1505. These two values control processing behavior more directly than any single mechanical property. Supplier technical literature lists a nominal tensile yield stress near 15 MPa and a nominal flexural modulus near 550 MPa, but acceptance testing should be based on the certificate of analysis for the specific lot.
For the intended rotomolding application, the molecular architecture places the grade between high-pressure low-density polyethylene and unimodal high-density polyethylene in stiffness and cold-temperature ductility. The product is selected when a part must retain multi-axial impact resistance after conditioning at -20 °C without requiring the modulus of an 0.944 g/cm³ HDPE rotomolding compound. The density difference is not cosmetic; it reflects a higher short-chain branching frequency and a greater amorphous-phase tie-molecule population. Those structural features alter sintering rate, bubble removal, and residual stress generation during cooling.
For processors reviewing equivalent candidates, the first distinction is melt viscosity under low shear. Icorene 3590 exhibits a melt flow rate of 3.5 g/10 min under ASTM D1238 condition 190/2.16, which is lower than many high-flow rotomolding HDPE grades but higher than stiff pipe-grade HDPE. High-pressure LDPE grades with comparable melt flow rates typically show stronger shear thinning because of long-chain branching. The linear backbone of Icorene 3590 produces a narrower shear-thinning response, which can reduce screw recovery time variation in extrusion but requires closer control of oven temperature during rotomolding.
Compared with a 0.944 g/cm³ unimodal HDPE rotomolding grade, the lower density of Icorene 3590 generally increases cold-temperature impact ductility and environmental stress crack resistance while reducing flexural modulus. The difference is measurable under ASTM D1693 environmental stress crack testing only when the same molded wall thickness, cooling rate, and mold release chemistry are used. A direct comparison to high-pressure LDPE shows the opposite trade: the LLDPE grade provides higher modulus and better heat resistance, but it may not match the extreme low-temperature puncture tolerance of a flexible long-chain-branched LDPE compound.
The short-chain branching distribution also affects chemical resistance. Immersion tests under ASTM D543 can be used to compare weight change and dimensional stability in service fluids. The grade is not a barrier polymer, and its performance in aromatic hydrocarbons, chlorinated solvents, or strong oxidizing acids is limited by the non-polar polyethylene backbone rather than by melt-flow differences. Product substitution on a weight-percent basis is therefore not sufficient where service chemical exposure is undefined.
On a production-scale carousel rotomolding machine with a 4:1 arm ratio and a gas-fired oven circulating air at 8–12 m/s, the practical internal air temperature for Icorene 3590 is generally maintained between 260 °C and 290 °C. The lower bound must stay above the crystalline melting range long enough for powder densification. Below 260 °C, incomplete sintering may persist as microvoids, particularly in deep ribs or bosses. The upper bound is limited by thermo-oxidative chain scission. At melt temperatures above 330 °C, gel formation and odor generation increase sharply, and the part surface can develop oxidized layers that interfere with weld-line integrity.
The grade’s melt flow rate is high enough to fill undercuts, ribs, and hinge features if the mold is rotated with a major-axis speed near 4–6 rpm and a minor-axis speed near 1–1.5 rpm. These speeds produce a ratio close to 4:1, which is a starting point rather than a fixed production setting. Wall-thickness uniformity must be mapped with an ultrasonic thickness gauge after the first mold trial. On single-axis rock-and-roll equipment, the same thermal profile is used, but the minor-axis oscillation pattern must be adjusted to prevent material accumulation in the lower corners of the mold.
The sintering plateau occurs after the initial powder-tack phase. During this period, the powder particles coalesce, and residual porosity is eliminated by melt-state surface tension and internal air pressure. For an LLDPE with a nominal density of 0.936 g/cm³, bubble removal is slower than in low-density LDPE because of higher melt tension, but faster than in a 0.944 g/cm³ HDPE grade with a similar melt flow rate. The processing window is therefore narrower than a common perception of rotomolding would suggest. Oven set-point variations of more than ±5 °C around the optimized internal air temperature can move a thick-walled part from acceptable densification to visible surface porosity or internal oxidation.
Published data for this specific configuration is limited when multi-layer rotomolding is attempted with an outer HDPE skin and an inner Icorene 3590 layer. The two layers can co-sinter only if their melting ranges overlap sufficiently. Pilot trials with infrared pyrometer data and cross-sectional microscopy are required before production, because the heat transfer lag in a steel mold may allow the outer HDPE layer to reach full densification while the inner LLDPE layer remains partially sintered.
| Comparative property | Test method | Icorene 3590 nominal | Reference rotomolding HDPE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Density | ASTM D1505 | 0.936 g/cm³ | 0.940–0.950 g/cm³ |
| Melt flow rate | ASTM D1238, 190 °C/2.16 kg | 3.5 g/10 min | 5–9 g/10 min |
| Flexural modulus | ASTM D790 | 550 MPa | 800–1,000 MPa |
| Tensile yield stress | ASTM D638-14 | 15 MPa | 20–25 MPa |
The reference HDPE ranges in the table are general industry values for rotomolding grades, not specification limits for any single commercial product. Comparative evaluation should be performed only on parts molded to the same wall thickness, with the same cooling air velocity and mold release chemistry. The Icorene 3590 values are nominal and should be confirmed against the current supplier datasheet and certificate of analysis.
Surface treatment for adhesion is not normally required for natural-grade applications. For polyurethane foam attachment or structural adhesive bonding, flame treatment or corona treatment may be applied to raise the surface energy of the molded tank. The non-polar polyethylene surface is not inherently receptive to structural adhesives, and bond integrity must be tested by ASTM D4541 pull-off or ISO 4624 methods before production release. Experience on production lines shows that warpage in large flat-side tanks is more related to mold release chemistry and cooling air velocity than to the polymer itself. Uneven cooling across one side of a steel mold can induce post-molding shrinkage differences of 0.5–1.5 %, which is a larger source of dimensional error than typical lot-to-lot variation in the resin.
Compounding of color concentrate at 2–4 wt% on a 25 mm twin-screw extruder with an L/D 30:1 configuration should keep the melt temperature below 220 °C to avoid thermal oxidation during dispersion. The carrier resin for the concentrate should be an LLDPE with a similar melt flow rate. Use of a high-pressure LDPE carrier at loadings above 4 wt% can widen the melting range and reduce cold-temperature impact performance because the low-density carrier phase localizes stress during impact loading.
At a storage relative humidity above 60 %, the powder can carry enough surface moisture to produce microvoids during the sintering plateau. The resin itself is not strongly hygroscopic, but the high specific surface area of rotomolding powder makes moisture condensation a process variable. Pre-drying with a desiccant hopper or tray dryer at 60–70 °C for 2 h is normally sufficient before molding. Over-drying above 100 °C is not recommended because fine powder can sinter in the hopper or dryer screens. Closed storage containers and a first-in-first-out inventory sequence minimize humid-air exposure in tropical manufacturing environments.
Post-industrial regrind can be added in validated ratios, but no production limit should be assumed without trial data. In practice, many rotomolding operations develop their own internal limits based on the gel count, drop-impact retention, and melt flow stability of the actual regrind stream. If the regrind fraction exceeds 30 %, the thermal history accumulated during grinding and remolding can contribute to a measurable reduction in notched impact and an increase in visible surface defects. The particle-size distribution of the regrind must be matched to the virgin powder. An excess of fine particles can accelerate densification, while an excess of coarse particles can remain unsintered in the center of thick sections.
The grade should not be stored in direct sunlight for prolonged periods unless a UV-stabilized formulation is specified by the supplier. If a UV-stabilized version is not supplied, outdoor service weathering will cause surface chalking and molecular weight reduction. Weathering performance must be confirmed using ASTM D2565 or ISO 4892-2 before an outdoor warranty is assigned. Food-contact packaging applications require compliance certification under FDA 21 CFR 177.1520 and EU 10/2011; no food-contact claim is made solely from the polymer type. Metal deactivator additives may be required if the molded part is in long-term contact with copper alloys, because polyethylene can be oxidized by transition-metal ions at elevated service temperatures.
Sustained load-bearing design above 60 °C is not recommended for Icorene 3590 without a creep rupture evaluation under ASTM D2990 or ISO 899-1. The grade does not provide a fire-resistance rating, and a separate flame-retardant compound is required for ignition-controlled applications. These boundaries are not product defects; they follow directly from the linear polyethylene backbone and its comonomer distribution.
