| HS Code | 818246 |
| Vinyl Acetate Content | 18 wt% |
| Melt Flow Rate | 2.5 g/10 min (190°C/2.16 kg, ASTM D1238) |
| Density | 0.940 g/cm3 (ASTM D792) |
| Melting Point | 91°C (DSC) |
| Crystallization Point | 66°C (DSC) |
| Vicat Softening Point | 68°C (ASTM D1525) |
| Tensile Strength At Break | 22 MPa (ASTM D638) |
| Elongation At Break | 700% (ASTM D638) |
| Flexural Modulus | 55 MPa (ASTM D790) |
| Hardness | 44 Shore D (ASTM D2240) |
| Brittleness Temperature | -100°C (ASTM D746) |
| Refractive Index | 1.500 |
As an accredited ELVAX 3170 Ethylene Vinyl Acetate Copolymer factory, we enforce strict quality protocols—every batch undergoes rigorous testing to ensure consistent efficacy and safety standards.
| Packing | ELVAX 3170 ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer is supplied as free-flowing pellets in 25 kg multiwall paper bags. |
| Container Loading (20′ FCL) | 20′ FCL loading of ELVAX 3170 pellets: palletized, secured, dry container, no contamination, proper handling per safety data sheet. |
| Shipping | ELVAX 3170 is shipped as solid pellets in moisture-resistant bags or bulk containers. Non-hazardous, but handle with care to avoid dust and static. Store away from heat, ignition sources, and direct sunlight. Ensure proper ventilation and secure loading to prevent damage during transit. |
| Storage | Store ELVAX 3170 in its original, unopened container in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area away from direct sunlight, heat sources, and open flames. Keep containers tightly sealed to prevent moisture pickup, dust contamination, and static accumulation. Avoid contact with strong oxidizers. Maintain moderate temperatures and protect from mechanical damage. |
| Shelf Life | Shelf life is typically 2 years when stored in original, unopened containers away from heat, moisture, and direct sunlight. |
ELVAX 3170, specified at 18 wt% vinyl acetate and 2.5 dg/min melt index under ASTM D1238 / ISO 1133-1:2022, with density 0.94 g/cm³ under ASTM D1505, is introduced into hot-melt adhesive formulations at 15–35 wt%. Below 15 wt%, cohesion and heat resistance in package-closing adhesives decline; above 35 wt%, melt viscosity under ASTM D3236 at 180°C typically rises beyond 4,500 mPa·s, producing stringing and slot-die coating defects. Production-scale sigma-blade mixers with 316L stainless steel construction are charged with tackifier resin at 130–150°C; ELVAX 3170 is then added at 150–180°C under nitrogen blanketing, with agitation at 20–40 rpm for 45–90 min. Molten adhesive is transferred by heated gear pump through 200–250 µm filtration to a slot-die coater or roll coater maintained at 160–175°C. Operational failure modes observed on packaging lines include acetic acid release above 200°C, which accelerates corrosion of carbon steel; 316L or higher alloy equipment is specified. Amine-based additives are excluded because they catalyze de-acetylation of the EVA phase. Pre-drying at 60°C for 4–6 h is required when storage relative humidity exceeds 60%. Compliance for food packaging adhesives is evaluated under FDA 21 CFR 175.105; pressure-sensitive hot-melt variants may also require FDA 21 CFR 175.125. Terminal finished product types include corrugated carton sealing adhesives on lines running at 120–200 m/min, perfect-binding spine adhesives in book manufacturing, and edge-banding hot melts for furniture panel processing.
In high-speed corrugated board coating operations, ELVAX 3170 is added at 5–20 wt% to paraffin wax to raise low-shear viscosity from 10–30 mPa·s to 200–800 mPa·s at 130°C, increasing coating weight uniformity and adhesion to cellulosic board without requiring a separate primer. The copolymer pellets are pre-dried at 60°C for 4–6 h where relative humidity exceeds 60%; wet feed causes agglomeration and delayed dissolution. A jacketed wax melter is operated at 120–150°C with a high-shear Cowles disperser at 900–1,200 rpm; dissolution completion is assessed by film drawdown clarity, with total cycle time of 45–75 min. The modified wax is applied through a roller coater at 160–180°C onto corrugated board at coating weights of 8–25 g/m². Compliance for food-contact paper and paperboard falls under FDA 21 CFR 176.170; petroleum wax used in food contact must additionally meet FDA 21 CFR 178.3710. In the EU, direct food contact plastics and coatings are assessed under EU 10/2011. Terminal finished product types include wax-coated produce cartons, boxboard trays, cup stock, and water-resistant corrugated shipper boxes.
Solvent-borne laminating adhesives and coating primers formulated with ELVAX 3170 at 10–20 wt% solids in an 80:20 toluene/MEK mixture are deposited by reverse-roll comma coater at wet film weights of 30–80 g/m². Because the 18 wt% vinyl acetate content increases polymer-solvent hydrogen bonding, retained solvent concentration remains above specification when the first drying zone drops below 80°C; production-scale drying tunnels typically use three zones at 80–110°C with impingement air velocity of 10–20 m/s and total residence of 30–90 s. Compliance is evaluated under FDA 21 CFR 175.300 for resinous and polymeric coatings, with residual volatiles measured by ASTM D5403; REACH Annex XVII restrictions apply to toluene in industrial coating formulations in the EU. Addition at 10–20 wt% solids controls solution viscosity between 200–1,500 mPa·s at 25°C; higher solids cause gear-pump cavitation and ribbing on comma-coater applicators. Terminal finished product types include flexible packaging laminating adhesives for snack food structures, heat-sealable cold-seal release coatings, and industrial tape backings. Published data for exact retained solvent curves at line speeds above 250 m/min is limited; pilot trials with the specific dryer configuration are required.
Bitumen modification with ELVAX 3170 requires a high-shear rotor-stator mixer at 170–190°C to disperse the copolymer at 2–6 wt% into penetration-grade bitumen; above 200°C, acetic acid release reduces storage stability and can accelerate phase separation. The resulting modified bitumen is evaluated by ASTM D5 penetration at 25°C, ASTM D36 softening point, and ASTM D6084 elastic recovery. Compliance for roofing and waterproofing uses includes ASTM D6298 for polymer-modified asphalt roofing membrane materials and EN 13707 for flexible sheets for waterproofing; road pavement applications follow national performance-grade requirements rather than a single global standard. In production, straight-run bitumen is heated to 160–170°C; ELVAX 3170 is added gradually at 170–190°C under a high-shear mixer at 3,000–5,000 rpm for 60–120 min. After dispersion, the modified blend is transferred to storage at 150–160°C with slow agitation to limit phase separation. Terminal finished product types include polymer-modified bitumen for road paving, roofing felt saturants, bridge deck waterproofing membranes, and self-adhesive roofing membranes.
The seal layer of three-layer coextruded blown film is modified with ELVAX 3170 at 5–15 wt% of the seal-layer blend to lower seal initiation temperature relative to unmodified LDPE; typical seal initiation temperature shifts from 105–110°C for LDPE to 85–95°C at 10 wt% loading. Compliance for food-contact film is governed by FDA 21 CFR 177.1350 for ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers and EU 10/2011 for plastic materials intended for food contact, with specific migration testing according to EN 1186 where applicable. Processing uses three-layer coextrusion blown film lines with die gap 1.8–2.5 mm, melt temperature 190–210°C, blow-up ratio 2.0:1–3.0:1, and frost line height 500–800 mm; the 2.5 dg/min melt index maintains bubble stability while reducing extruder head pressure compared with LDPE-rich seal layers. Terminal finished product types include frozen food packaging, form-fill-seal pouches, liquid packaging liner films, and surface protection films for flat panel transport. Pre-drying at 60°C for 4–6 h is required when storage relative humidity exceeds 60% to avoid gel defects from moisture-induced crosslinking.
When ELVAX 3170 is used as the polymer matrix segment at 20–35 wt% of halogen-free flame-retardant cable sheathing compounds, aluminium trihydrate is incorporated at 120–150 phr and magnesium dihydroxide at 20–40 phr in a co-rotating twin-screw extruder with 40:1 L/D and filler side-feeding after the melt seal. The 2.5 dg/min melt index of ELVAX 3170 limits volumetric throughput on 75 mm twin-screw lines when filler loading exceeds 150 phr because high filler surface area raises melt viscosity; production trials are required to establish screw geometry-specific throughput boundaries, as published data for this exact formulation is limited. Barrel temperatures are maintained at 120–160°C, screw speed at 250–400 rpm, and pelletizing is completed through water-ring or underwater systems. Compliance is evaluated by IEC 60754-1 and IEC 60754-2 for halogen acid gas emission, EN 50267-2-1 for combustion gas corrosivity, and UL 94 V-0 at 3.0 mm thickness; mechanical properties are measured according to ASTM D638-14 and heat aging per IEC 60811-401. Typical unaged tensile strength is 10–14 MPa with elongation 150–250%. Terminal finished product types include low-voltage halogen-free cable sheathing, control cable jacketing, conduit compounds, and heat-shrinkable tubing. Amine-based processing aids are excluded because they accelerate acetic acid evolution from the EVA phase during extrusion; vinylsilane-treated ATH grades are preferred to maintain elongation above 150% after 7 days at 100°C.
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ELVAX 3170 Ethylene Vinyl Acetate Copolymer is a pelletized ethylene-vinyl acetate resin with a nominal vinyl acetate comonomer content of 18 wt%, determined by infrared spectroscopy calibrated against nuclear magnetic resonance. Melt flow rate is reported as 2.5 g/10 min under 190 °C and 2.16 kg load following ASTM D1238 and ISO 1133-1:2022. Density is 0.940 g/cm³ when measured by ASTM D1505 or ISO 1183-1:2019. Differential scanning calorimetry per ASTM D3418 or ISO 11357-3:2018 places the peak melting endotherm at approximately 86 °C, while Vicat softening temperature determined under 10 N load by ASTM D1525 or ISO 306 is approximately 69 °C. Tensile stress at break on compression-molded ASTM D638 Type IV specimens is approximately 18 MPa, with elongation at break of roughly 700%. The resin is specified where moderate polarity, elevated melt strength, and compatibility with paraffin wax and hydrocarbon tackifiers are required. Unlike high-vinyl-acetate grades containing 25–28 wt% vinyl acetate, ELVAX 3170 provides reduced low-temperature tack and improved aliphatic solubility while retaining sufficient amorphous phase for cohesive strength in rigid packaging adhesives.
Processing of ELVAX 3170 is bounded by the onset of vinyl acetate deacetylation and the melt viscosity profile associated with a 2.5 g/10 min melt flow rate. In single-screw extrusion with a barrier screw and Maddock mixing section at 24:1 L/D, cylinder temperatures from 130 °C to 180 °C are commonly maintained from feed throat to die; melt temperature should remain below 210 °C. Twin-screw compounding lines with 40:1 L/D or greater and segmented kneading blocks are preferred when dispersing tackifier and wax because the 18 wt% vinyl acetate content does not generate sufficient shear heating to homogenize high-viscosity blends without additional mixing elements. At melt temperatures above 220 °C, acetic acid liberation is measurable by wet pH paper at the vent port, and gel speck formation in strand pelletizing has been observed on a 65 mm co-rotating twin-screw line at 400 kg/h. Pellet surface condensation after cold-warehouse storage requires dehumidified hopper air at 50–60 °C when relative humidity exceeds 60%; the resin itself exhibits low hygroscopicity, but free moisture on pellets generates steam-related porosity in extruded profiles. Screw speed, backpressure, and melt residence time are adjusted so that cumulative residence time at temperatures above 200 °C does not exceed 10 min, a boundary derived from isothermal capillary rheometry and visual degradation onset.
In hot melt adhesive compounding, ELVAX 3170 is typically blended with hydrocarbon tackifiers, microcrystalline wax, rosin esters, and antioxidants in heated sigma-blade mixers or vertical change-can mixers operating at 150–180 °C. The melt flow rate of 2.5 g/10 min provides a balance between substrate wet-out and controlled penetration into corrugated board; lower-vinyl-acetate grades reduce bondline viscosity drift when exposed to molten wax at 175 °C for 8 h. Batch-to-batch variation in vinyl acetate sequence distribution may shift open time and tensile hot strength; incoming lots are therefore evaluated by differential scanning calorimetry and parallel-plate rheometry rather than melt flow rate alone. In paraffin wax blends used for paperboard impregnation, the 18 wt% vinyl acetate content raises the wax cloud point less than 28 wt% grades and preserves paraffin crystal structure while reducing brittleness. Adhesive formulations prepared with 10–30 phr ELVAX 3170 and 20–40 phr tackifier are not universal; adhesion to recycled clay-coated board is governed by surface energy of the substrate and cannot be predicted from resin properties alone. Published data for this specific configuration in low-temperature corrugated packaging is limited.
During blown film and extrusion coating operations, ELVAX 3170 exhibits higher melt tension than 28 wt% vinyl acetate grades because the lower comonomer content preserves longer crystallizable ethylene sequences. On a 45 mm single-screw blown-film line with 30:1 L/D and 250 mm annular die, stable bubble geometry is maintained at melt temperatures between 165 °C and 190 °C; draw resonance appears when the blow-up ratio exceeds 3.0:1 at 25 µm gauge. Screw speed profiles that create melt temperatures above 215 °C produce acetic acid odor at the bubble interior and gel specks in the film web. The material is not recommended for cast film lines without a heated winder because residual tack at 60 °C can distort roll formation. Extrusion coating of paperboard with ELVAX 3170 at 12–20 µm thickness requires chill roll temperatures of 10–15 °C to control crystallinity and adhesion to polyethylene tie layers.
The replacement of a 25–28 wt% vinyl acetate copolymer with ELVAX 3170 shifts the formulation toward higher crystalline order, lower room-temperature surface tack, and reduced adhesion to polar substrates such as glass and aluminum. Differential scanning calorimetry shows a higher melt peak near 86 °C for ELVAX 3170 compared with approximately 72–76 °C for typical 28 wt% vinyl acetate grades. The tensile storage modulus at −20 °C increases by approximately 200–400 MPa depending on frequency, indicating that flexible sealant applications requiring low-temperature joint movement should compensate with plasticizer or softer tackifier systems. At 190 °C and 2.16 kg, the 2.5 g/10 min melt flow rate is lower than many high-VA hot melt grades; this results in higher pump pressures in gear-pump-driven application equipment and slower extrusion through slot-die coaters. The benefit of the substitution appears in aliphatic hydrocarbon compatibility: ELVAX 3170 dissolves more readily in 65–70 °C paraffin wax and produces lower viscosity at 20 wt% loading than a 28 wt% VA copolymer because the shorter acetate branch density reduces polar phase separation. The accompanying table summarizes the comparative data for formulation pre-selection.
| Property or behaviour | ELVAX 3170 | Typical 28 wt% VA EVA |
|---|---|---|
| Vinyl acetate content | 18 wt% | 28 wt% |
| DSC melt peak | 86 °C | 72–76 °C |
| Melt flow rate (190 °C, 2.16 kg) | 2.5 g/10 min | grade-dependent, often 25–43 g/10 min |
| Low-temperature flexibility and tack | lower | higher |
| Paraffin wax compatibility | improved | reduced |
| Adhesion to polar substrates | moderate | higher |
The choice between ELVAX 3170 and a higher-vinyl-acetate grade is therefore not a direct drop-in replacement for formulations that rely on amine-cured epoxy adhesion or acrylic latex compatibility; the lower acetate content weakens hydrogen-bonding interactions at interfaces. In formulated systems, addition of 2.5 wt% maleic anhydride-grafted polyolefin may partially restore adhesion to aluminum without violating melt stability, but this modification must be validated by ASTM D1876 T-peel testing on the actual substrate.
Thermogravimetric analysis under nitrogen at 10 °C/min per ASTM E1131 typically shows the principal mass-loss onset associated with deacetylation above 280 °C for dry ELVAX 3170, but isothermal exposure at 230 °C for 30 min is sufficient to generate detectable acetic acid. In production-scale extrusion, the practical ceiling is therefore 210 °C rather than the TGA onset. Deacetylation follows pseudo-first-order kinetics in the melt, with evolved acetic acid catalyzing further chain scission; process equipment with brass, copper, or unalloyed steel surfaces in contact with melt can corrode at accelerated rates in the presence of acetate species. Use of polyphenylene sulfide or aluminum heaters is not affected, but downstream vacuum calibration sleeves must be inspected for acid-induced pitting when vent plugging occurs. Formulations containing residual sodium hydroxide, zinc stearate, or certain transition-metal soaps can neutralize acetic acid or destabilize the copolymer; published data for long-term stability in these specific formulations is limited. In practice, extrusion operators monitor the vent-vacuum receiver pH and purge with virgin polyethylene when the melt temperature excursion exceeds 220 °C for more than 5 min.
At incoming inspection, lot qualification for ELVAX 3170 relies on capillary rheometry at 190 °C over the shear rate range 10–1000 s⁻¹ rather than melt flow rate alone, because melt flow rate is a single-point measurement that does not capture the shear-thinning behavior induced by molecular weight distribution. Differential scanning calorimetry under 10 °C/min heating and cooling per ASTM D3418 tracks crystallization temperature near 68 °C, a parameter that correlates with open time in hot-melt formulations. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy at 1740 cm⁻¹ for the acetate carbonyl band is used to verify comonomer content; deviations greater than ±0.5 wt% from the nominal 18 wt% can alter wax compatibility and low-temperature adhesion. Incoming lots with yellowness index above 2.0 per ASTM D6290 are quarantined for potential oxidative degradation during shipping.
Regulatory status of ELVAX 3170 for food-contact adhesive and coating applications is governed by the finished article, not the resin alone. The resin is typically referenced under 21 CFR 177.1350 when used as a component of food-contact adhesives and coatings, provided that extractive and end-use limitations in that section and 21 CFR 177.1520 for olefin polymers are met. European food-contact evaluation is addressed through Commission Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 with overall migration limits for the final article, and specific migration testing must be performed on the formulated adhesive or sealant. For non-food industrial use, REACH registration and RoHS 2011/65/EU compliance are typically confirmed by the supplier’s safety data sheet, but verification is lot-specific. The resin should not be incinerated in unvented equipment because acetic acid and carbon monoxide are released during thermal decomposition. In medical device or pharmaceutical packaging applications, biocompatibility under ISO 10993-1:2018 is not an inherent property of ELVAX 3170 and requires finished-device evaluation, including leachables testing by ISO 10993-18 where applicable.
