| HS Code | 567938 |
| Density | 0.918 g/cm³ |
| Melt Flow Rate 190 C 2 16 Kg | 2.0 g/10 min |
| Melting Point | 122 °C |
| Vicat Softening Point | 100 °C |
| Tensile Stress At Yield | 12 MPa |
| Tensile Stress At Break | 31 MPa |
| Elongation At Break | 700 % |
| Elmendorf Tear Strength Md | 120 g |
| Dart Drop Impact F50 | 130 g |
| Haze | 8 % |
| Gloss 45 | 60 |
| Brittleness Temperature | -70 °C |
As an accredited SABIC LLDPE 218NJ factory, we enforce strict quality protocols—every batch undergoes rigorous testing to ensure consistent efficacy and safety standards.
| Packing | SABIC LLDPE 218NJ is supplied in 25 kg net polyethylene-lined bags, palletized and stretch-wrapped for safe transport. |
| Container Loading (20′ FCL) | 20′ FCL: SABIC LLDPE 218NJ in 25kg bags on pallets, shrink-wrapped and securely stowed for safe shipping. |
| Shipping | SABIC LLDPE 218NJ is shipped as non-hazardous polyethylene pellets in sealed bags or bulk containers. Keep dry, avoid direct sunlight and high temperatures. Store in a well-ventilated area away from ignition sources. Use clean equipment to prevent contamination. Handle with care to preserve product quality. |
| Storage | Store SABIC LLDPE 218NJ in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area, away from direct sunlight, heat sources, and open flames. Keep bags sealed to prevent moisture and contamination. Avoid stacking excessively high to prevent deformation. No special hazardous storage is required, but maintain good housekeeping to minimize dust and static accumulation. |
| Shelf Life | Shelf life is typically indefinite when stored indoors, away from heat, moisture, and direct sunlight. |
Blown film extrusion of SABIC LLDPE 218NJ on a conventional low-pressure monofilm line is specified by a density of 0.918 g/cm³ measured to ISO 1183-1 and an MFR of 2.0 g/10 min at 190°C/2.16 kg measured to ISO 1133-1. The resin is processed through a single-screw extruder with 30:1 L/D, a barrier screw with Maddock mixing section, and a screen pack of 20/40/60 mesh. Melt temperature at the die is held between 190°C and 220°C; die gap is set from 1.8 mm to 2.5 mm. A blow-up ratio of 2.0:1 to 3.0:1 and frost-line height of 3 to 5 die diameters stabilise the bubble. Film thickness typically ranges from 25 µm to 80 µm, with the lower thickness boundary limited by film blocking unless antiblock is added. The terminal products include general-purpose consumer bags, carry bags, and light industrial packaging. For direct food contact, the converter must verify overall migration into simulant D2 according to EU Regulation 10/2011 Annex I and olefin polymer identity under 21 CFR 177.1520(c), because compliance is formulation-dependent. The most frequently reported production failure on these lines is bubble instability below 190°C melt temperature; melt fracture appears at high screw speeds above 120 RPM because melt temperature control alone cannot compensate for shear stress at the die lip. These limits are narrower than for LDPE and require internal bubble stabilisation and active bubble cooling. Slip and antiblock masterbatches are added at 500 ppm to 1500 ppm active additive, but exact let-down must follow additive supplier guidance to avoid plate-out on the die lip.
| Property | Test method | Reporting unit |
|---|---|---|
| Density | ISO 1183-1 | g/cm³ |
| Melt flow rate | ISO 1133-1 | g/10 min |
| Tensile strength at break | ISO 527-3 | MPa |
| Dart impact | ASTM D1709 Method A | g |
| Elmendorf tear | ASTM D1922 | N/mm |
| Haze | ASTM D1003 | % |
| Gloss | ASTM D2457 | GU |
| Heat seal strength | ASTM F88/F88M | N/25 mm |
On high-speed cast film towers, the neck-in dimension at the die is the controlling variable because 218NJ is a butene-based LLDPE with lower melt elasticity than LDPE or octene-based grades. The resin is extruded through a flat die with die gap 0.6 mm to 1.0 mm into a chill roll maintained at 18°C to 28°C, with melt temperature between 210°C and 245°C. Draw ratio is generally kept below 40:1; beyond this, edge weave and draw resonance become visible on production lines, and published data for 218NJ in a 12 µm cast web is limited, so mapping trials on the specific die are required. The resulting film is used in cast stretch and cover applications where machine-direction tensile properties are measured to ASTM D882, Elmendorf tear to ASTM D1922, and dart impact to ASTM D1709 Method A. For industrial stretch film, 218NJ is normally blended with 5 wt% to 15 wt% LDPE or a higher-performance hexene LLDPE to improve melt strength and reduce neck-in; the exact ratio depends on the width of the die and the desired pre-stretch ratio. A production bottleneck commonly observed is low melt curtain stability at air gaps above 150 mm; converters therefore reduce the air gap to 80 mm to 120 mm and increase the chill roll temperature to the upper boundary only when blocking is not observed.
Heat sealing behaviour of a 218NJ-based sealant web is governed by melting peak location and by migration of slip additives from the bulk to the seal interface. In extrusion lamination, 218NJ is coextruded or monoextruded as a sealant layer at 10 µm to 20 µm thickness onto BOPP or PET substrates, with melt temperature between 240°C and 280°C and an air gap of 100 mm to 180 mm. A typical sealant layer proportion is 70 wt% LDPE and 30 wt% 218NJ; this ratio reduces haze but maintains a seal initiation temperature roughly 5°C to 10°C above the LDPE reference, although the converter must generate its own heat-seal curve because the manufacturer does not publish seal-through-contamination data for this specific formulation. Seal strength is measured on 25 mm wide specimens according to ASTM F88/F88M after dwell 0.5 s at 250 N sealing force; heat sealability parameters follow ASTM F2029. For direct food contact, the sealant layer must meet overall migration under EU Regulation 10/2011 and extractive limitations under 21 CFR 177.1520(c); if the substrate is aluminium foil duplex, the converter must also verify migration through the adhesive tie layer. Operating limits are defined by additive partitioning: high slip loadings above 1500 ppm can transfer to seal bars and reduce seal strength after 8 h continuous sealing, so a slip level of 300 ppm to 800 ppm is usual for seal-critical laminates.
Agricultural tunnel film produced from LLDPE 218NJ is normally run on a high-tower blown film line with die diameter 200 mm to 350 mm, BUR 2.5:1 to 4.0:1, and film thickness from 80 µm to 200 µm. The resin is dry-blended with a UV stabiliser masterbatch at 5 wt% to 12 wt% and optionally with 10 wt% to 20 wt% EVA for improved low-temperature flexibility, depending on the regional climate. Output rates of 60 kg/hr to 120 kg/hr are typical on such towers; above 120 kg/hr, bubble flutter due to high internal bubble cooling air velocity requires adjusted tower geometry. The terminal product is a single-season or multi-season tunnel cover; for multi-season use in Southern European latitudes, the film must meet the classification requirements of EN 13206:2017, including tensile elongation at break and UV resistance after artificial weathering. Because 218NJ does not contain UV stabiliser or thermal stabiliser as sold, the final weathering performance depends entirely on the masterbatch package and is not covered by the resin supplier’s food-contact compliance. The converter must also avoid using high levels of external lubricants because these can migrate to the film surface and reduce the wetting action needed for anti-drip coatings applied to the inner tunnel surface.
| Application | Compliance instrument | Critical clause or method |
|---|---|---|
| Food contact film | EU Regulation 10/2011 | Overall migration Annex I |
| Food contact film | 21 CFR 177.1520(c) | Olefin polymer identity |
| Agricultural tunnel film | EN 13206:2017 | Weathering classification |
| Masterbatch | REACH | Article 33 SVHC notification 0.1 wt% |
| Cast film | ASTM D882 | MD tensile |
At a let-down ratio of 10 wt%, 218NJ contributes to high-clarity packaging films by increasing puncture resistance relative to a pure LDPE film, but the optical property shift is measurable and must be controlled. The resin is dry-blended with an LDPE film-grade resin; mixing is done in the extruder hopper with a continuous gravimetric blender. Melt temperature is maintained at 190°C to 215°C, BUR at 2.0:1 to 2.8:1, and die gap at 1.2 mm to 2.0 mm to reduce shear in the thin die land. Film thickness for high-clarity consumer packaging is normally 20 µm to 50 µm. Haze is measured by ASTM D1003 and gloss at 45° by ASTM D2457; a 10 wt% butene-LLDPE let-down typically raises haze by no more than 2 percentage points in a well-dispersed system, but these values must be confirmed with the specific LDPE lot due to comonomer distribution differences. Food contact compliance is again subject to EU Regulation 10/2011 and 21 CFR 177.1520. The critical processing limitation is that higher let-down above 15 wt% can reduce gloss below the acceptance threshold for premium packaging lines and increase film blocking; an antiblock masterbatch addition of 1000 ppm to 2500 ppm is often required, but that same addition can degrade clarity if the masterbatch carrier is incompatible.
Masterbatch producers using LLDPE 218NJ as a PE carrier rely on its narrow molecular weight distribution and its melt flow proximity to typical blown film resins. The resin is fed as the base carrier and is compounded on a co-rotating twin-screw extruder with L/D 40:1, screw speed 300 RPM to 600 RPM, and barrel temperatures 160°C to 200°C, with vacuum devolatilisation below -0.08 MPa to remove residual moisture and volatiles from pigments. Pigment loadings range from 20 wt% to 60 wt% for organic and inorganic colorants, while additive masterbatches are typically loaded at 10 wt% to 30 wt%. The terminal product is a pelletised masterbatch with a final melt flow rate determined by capillary rheometry to ISO 11443; the end-use let-down ratio into film is usually 2 wt% to 10 wt%, but must be adjusted if the final film is tested under ISO 1133-1 to avoid shifting the extrusion pressure profile. Compliance is assessed through REACH Article 33 notification for SVHC content above 0.1 wt% in the masterbatch, and through EU Regulation 10/2011 if the masterbatch is intended for indirect food contact. The main processing limitation is that 218NJ is not a high-dispersion carrier for carbon black above 40 wt% loading; at that concentration, pressure fluctuation across the screen changer can exceed 20 bar unless a higher-MFR carrier is used.
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SABIC LLDPE 218NJ is a linear low-density polyethylene injection moulding grade characterised by a density near 0.918 g/cm³ and a melt flow rate of 50 g/10 min when determined at 190 °C under 2.16 kg piston load in accordance with ISO 1133-1:2022. The grade is used in thin-wall packaging, caps and closures, housewares, and other injection moulded articles in which high melt fluidity and short cycle times control production economics. The polymer is classified as an LLDPE; the exact comonomer type may not be declared in all public sales literature and should be confirmed against the supplier certificate of analysis for a given lot. This absence of a declared comonomer in some documents does not alter the processing classification but is relevant for oxygen permeability, seal behaviour, and toughness modelling.
The grade is commonly described in supplier technical literature as a narrow molecular weight distribution injection moulding resin. The melt flow rate of 50 g/10 min indicates low melt viscosity under standard conditions, which permits high-speed cavity filling in thin-wall sections. Density near 0.918 g/cm³ places the product in the low-density portion of the LLDPE envelope; the linear backbone with short-chain branching provides a balance of stiffness, ductility, and environmental stress crack resistance that differs from high-pressure low-density polyethylene of similar density. Tensile modulus is reported at 260 MPa under ISO 527-2:2012, with tensile stress at yield near 11 MPa and tensile elongation at break above 500 %. The Vicat softening temperature A/50 is approximately 88 °C under ISO 306:2022, and Shore D hardness is approximately 55 under ISO 868:2003. These values are typical supplier-reported data and are not specification limits for release testing.
| Property | Test method | Unit | Typical value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melt flow rate | ISO 1133-1:2022 | g/10 min | 50 |
| Density | ISO 1183-1:2019 | g/cm³ | 0.918 |
| Tensile modulus | ISO 527-2:2012 | MPa | 260 |
| Tensile stress at yield | ISO 527-2:2012 | MPa | 11 |
| Tensile elongation at break | ISO 527-2:2012 | % | >500 |
| Vicat softening temperature A/50 | ISO 306:2022 | °C | 88 |
| Shore D hardness | ISO 868:2003 | — | 55 |
Moulded specimens may show higher or lower tensile values depending on gate design, cooling rate, and orientation. Injection moulding produces anisotropic morphology; tensile modulus measured parallel to flow may exceed the transverse direction value by 10 % to 25 % in thin-wall parts. For applications requiring notched impact data, users should test moulded specimens under ISO 180/A or ASTM D256 at the intended service temperature because public data sheets do not always report Izod values for this grade.
The processing window is limited by shear heating, mould surface temperature, and the low thermal conductivity of polyolefins. On single-screw injection moulding machines with screw L/D ratios between 20:1 and 25:1, melt temperatures of 200 °C to 230 °C are typical. Mould temperatures from 10 °C to 50 °C are used, with lower temperatures reducing cycle time and higher temperatures improving knit-line strength. At mould temperatures below 10 °C, surface condensation can produce splay, flow marks, and weak weld lines; above 50 °C, cooling time increases without proportional gain in crystallinity or impact performance. Back pressure should be maintained below 15 bar unless melt homogeneity is inadequate. High back pressure combined with high screw rotation speed raises melt temperature beyond the barrel set point, which can lead to discolouration and increased chain scission if the melt exceeds 250 °C for prolonged residence time.
On high-cavitation closure moulds with hot runner systems, the pressure consumed in the runner and gate becomes the controlling variable. Flow length-to-wall thickness ratios above 200:1 can cause short shots if the nozzle temperature falls below 220 °C. Moulding experience on production-scale injection machines with clamp forces between 1,200 kN and 3,500 kN indicates that shot-to-shot weight variation increases when screw recovery time exceeds 2.5 s on barrels with screw diameters above 50 mm. The cause is a broader resin residence time distribution at slow recovery, not a change in the intrinsic rheology of the pellet. Adjusting screw rotation to keep recovery time below the threshold is more effective than increasing back pressure for melt homogenisation.
Because the grade has a narrow molecular weight distribution, its shear viscosity decreases more sharply with shear rate than a broad-MWD LLDPE of equivalent melt flow rate. The practical result is lower pressure drop in thin-wall sections during filling, but the same characteristic lowers melt strength during the packing phase. Positive hold pressure is therefore required to compensate for volumetric shrinkage. Capillary rheometry under ISO 11443:2021 may be used to quantify the flow curve; supplier data for the exact batch should be consulted because rheological curves vary with catalyst batch and stabiliser package. Mould shrinkage in the range 1.5 % to 2.0 % should be anticipated for unfilled LLDPE parts, but final values must be measured on the actual tool under ISO 294-4:2018. Packing pressure is typically set at 50 % to 70 % of peak injection pressure. Insufficient packing produces sink marks and microvoids, while excessive packing extends gate seal time and cycle length without meaningful dimensional improvement.
Weld-line strength in moulded parts is sensitive to melt temperature, mould temperature, and injection speed. With the high flow rate of SABIC LLDPE 218NJ, increasing injection speed can reduce weld-line width but may induce jetting if gate diameters are below 1.0 mm. Production trials on multi-cavity closures indicate that raising mould temperature from 15 °C to 40 °C increases weld-line elongation at break when measured under ISO 527-2:2012; the same increase extends cooling time. Weld lines located downstream of embossed features are more sensitive because the local flow front temperature can fall below 190 °C before the fronts recombine. Flow front temperature should be checked with an infrared sensor or a short-shot study before transferring to full production.
Compared with conventional LLDPE blown film grades with melt flow rates below 2.0 g/10 min, SABIC LLDPE 218NJ is unsuitable for film bubble processes because its low melt strength prevents stable bubble formation and reduces transverse direction tear resistance in thin films. In injection moulding, the high melt flow rate provides faster cavity filling and lower residual stress in thin sections. Compared with LDPE injection grades at similar density, the linear backbone of LLDPE 218NJ gives higher tensile modulus and improved environmental stress crack resistance under ASTM D1693; however, LDPE may provide better clarity and lower moulded-in stress in thick sections. Compared with metallocene-catalysed mLLDPE, the processing window of this grade is wider on standard injection machines, but mLLDPE may exhibit higher dart impact and environmental stress crack resistance at equivalent density. The substitution of mLLDPE with LLDPE 218NJ should therefore be validated through side-by-side moulding trials using the intended part geometry and gate type.
In thin-wall container production, SABIC LLDPE 218NJ is commonly run with melt temperatures between 200 °C and 230 °C and mould temperatures between 15 °C and 45 °C. The grade should not be processed at melt temperatures above 250 °C for prolonged periods because chain scission and discolouration may increase; brief excursions below 240 °C are generally tolerated. When hot runner nozzles are used, thermal uniformity across the manifold must be maintained within ±5 K to prevent gate-to-gate filling imbalance. In multi-cavity tools, weight variation is more often caused by hot runner temperature imbalance than by rheological variability in the resin itself.
Food-contact status for SABIC LLDPE 218NJ is governed by the olefin polymer provisions of FDA 21 CFR 177.1520 in the United States and by Commission Regulation EU No 10/2011 in the European Union. The resin may meet the overall migration limit of 10 mg/dm² under EU No 10/2011 when used in accordance with supplier conditions; final compliance for a specific article must be confirmed by migration testing because surface area, article thickness, processing additives, and regrind content affect the result. Under REACH (EC) 1907/2006, the polymer as a preparation must be assessed for substances of very high concern above 0.1 % by weight. RoHS Directive 2011/65/EU restrictions on lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls, and polybrominated diphenyl ethers apply to electrical and electronic applications; supplier declarations are required for enforcement.
| Requirement | Reference | Boundary condition |
|---|---|---|
| Food contact — United States | FDA 21 CFR 177.1520 | Olefin polymer, subject to end-use limitations |
| Food contact — European Union | EU No 10/2011 | Overall migration limit 10 mg/dm² |
| Chemical registration | REACH (EC) 1907/2006 | SVHC threshold 0.1 % w/w |
| Hazardous substances | RoHS 2011/65/EU | Pb, Hg, Cd, Cr(VI), PBB, PBDE restrictions |
Polyethylene is not hygroscopic, and the grade does not require routine pre-drying. If the resin is stored at relative humidity above 60 % or moved from cold storage to a warm production area, surface condensation may form. In such cases, drying at 80 °C for 2 h in a desiccant or hot-air dryer is applied. Drying above 95 °C should be avoided because pellet surface softening can cause bridging in the hopper. The grade should be kept away from direct sunlight and sources of ultraviolet radiation unless stabilised; outdoor storage of natural pellets beyond 6 months is not recommended without re-testing melt flow rate and density. Long-term thermal stability is limited by the stabiliser package. Repeated regrind addition above 20 % by weight may reduce oxidative induction time measured under ISO 11357-6:2018; users should limit regrind content or verify oxidative stability after multiple processing cycles. Avoid prolonged contact with strong oxidising agents, chlorinated solvents, and aromatic hydrocarbons at temperatures above 60 °C.
Changeover from high-flow LDPE to SABIC LLDPE 218NJ should be performed with a low-density polyethylene purge compound at 160 °C to 180 °C. The screw should be rotated at low speed with minimal back pressure until melt temperature stabilises. Because the melt flow rate is high, purging time is typically shorter than for film-grade LLDPE. Residual LDPE in the barrel can lower viscosity and cause dimensional variability in the first shots; product dimensions should not be released until melt temperature remains within ±3 °C of the set point for 5 min. Lot-to-lot variation in melt flow rate and density should be verified against the supplier certificate of analysis before processing changes are approved.
