| HS Code | 726098 |
| Manufacturer | DuPont |
| Product | ELVAX 3170SHB Ethylene Vinyl Acetate Copolymer |
| Chemical Type | Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA) Copolymer |
| Vinyl Acetate Content | 18 wt% |
| Melt Flow Index | 8 g/10 min (190°C/2.16 kg) |
| Density | 0.939 g/cm³ |
| Melting Point | 87°C |
| Vicat Softening Point | 63°C |
| Tensile Strength At Break | 15 MPa |
| Elongation At Break | 750% |
| Hardness | 91 Shore A |
| Glass Transition Temperature | -32°C |
| Brittleness Temperature | -70°C |
As an accredited ELVAX 3170SHB Ethylene Vinyl Acetate Copolymer factory, we enforce strict quality protocols—every batch undergoes rigorous testing to ensure consistent efficacy and safety standards.
| Packing | ELVAX 3170SHB Ethylene Vinyl Acetate Copolymer is supplied as pellets in 25 kg polyethylene-lined paper bags. |
| Container Loading (20′ FCL) | 20′ FCL: Load palletized ELVAX 3170SHB resin bags, secure firmly, protect from moisture, and stay within weight limits. |
| Shipping | ELVAX 3170SHB is shipped as ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer pellets in sealed multi-wall bags or cardboard boxes. It is non-hazardous, but must be kept dry and away from direct heat or sunlight. Standard freight is suitable; ensure secure stacking and avoid puncturing packaging to prevent contamination. |
| Storage | Store ELVAX 3170SHB in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area. Keep the original container tightly sealed to prevent moisture absorption and contamination. Avoid direct sunlight, heat, open flames, and strong oxidizing agents. Maintain moderate temperatures; ideal storage is between 10–30°C. With proper storage, shelf life is typically two years from date of manufacture. |
| Shelf Life | Store in cool, dry conditions away from light and heat. Typical shelf life is 2 years from manufacture. |
For hot-melt packaging adhesives, ELVAX 3170SHB is specified with 18 wt% vinyl acetate comonomer and a melt flow rate of 2.5 g/10 min determined under ISO 1133-1:2022 at 190 °C/2.16 kg. In case and carton closing formulations, the copolymer is compounded at 25–35 wt% with hydrogenated rosin ester tackifier at 35–45 wt%, Fischer-Tropsch wax at 10–20 wt%, and hindered phenolic antioxidant at 0.3–0.8 wt%; polymer loadings below 20 wt% reduce fibre-tear cohesion, while loadings above 40 wt% generate slot-die head pressures above 4.5 MPa on conventional coating equipment. Compounding is run on a co-rotating twin-screw extruder with L/D 42:1, barrel zones 130–170 °C, die temperature 180 °C, melt filtration through 120-mesh breaker plates, and underwater pelletizing; wetted surfaces in melt contact are specified as 316L stainless steel because thermal excursions above 200 °C release acetic acid that corrodes carbon steel. The finished adhesive is applied through slot-die coaters at 165–175 °C with nip pressure 0.3–0.6 MPa; apparent viscosity measured by ASTM D3236 typically sits between 500 mPa·s and 5,000 mPa·s depending on wax dilution. Food-contact packaging adhesives are assessed under FDA 21 CFR 175.105 and FDA 21 CFR 177.1350, with migration verification under EU Regulation No 10/2011 for EU-market articles. Terminal products include corrugated case and carton closure, perfect-bound book spines, graphic arts layflat adhesives, and multi-wall bag seaming where open time is controlled between 2 s and 10 s before fibre tear. Pellets are pre-dried at 60 °C for 4 h when storage relative humidity exceeds 60%; surface moisture otherwise causes bubble formation in the slot-die application gap. The dominant production failure mode is batch-to-batch viscosity drift caused by incomplete pellet drying or by holding the adhesive tank above 190 °C over an entire shift.
The addition of ELVAX 3170SHB to fully refined paraffin wax alters crystal nucleation and flexural resistance because the 18 wt% vinyl acetate comonomer disrupts wax crystal order and increases low-temperature ductility. In candle and corrugated board wax coating operations, the polymer is dosed at 2–8 wt% of total wax solids; pillar and container candle blends commonly use 3–6 wt%, while curtain-coating of corrugated board uses 1–3 wt% to avoid excessive melt viscosity at the coating head. Addition above 12 wt% causes cloud point elevation above 85 °C and may interfere with gloss retention, while below 1 wt% the effect on slumping resistance becomes statistically indistinguishable from unfilled paraffin. Processing is conducted in a steam-jacketed stainless steel kettle equipped with an anchor impeller running at 50–80 rpm at 110–130 °C; the polymer pellets are introduced slowly through the vortex after the wax has reached 110 °C, followed by high-shear rotor-stator dispersion at 2,500–3,500 rpm for 20–30 min to eliminate gel particles and optical streaks. The melt is then filtered through 80-mesh screen changers and deposited onto a pastillation belt or prilling tower. Compliance for candle applications falls under REACH Annex XVII restrictions on PAHs and general product safety; wax-coated paper used for dry food contact is assessed under FDA 21 CFR 176.170 for components of paper and paperboard in contact with aqueous and fatty foods. Relevant test methods include ASTM D87 for drop melting point, ASTM D938 for congealing point, and ASTM D1321 for needle penetration. Terminal finished products include pillar candles, container wax fill, wax-impregnated corrugated board for high-humidity environments, and thin wax paper laminations for confectionery interleaving. A production-scale failure observed in candle compounding is the formation of macroscopic gel specks when pellets are dumped into wax below 105 °C; these specks require rework and increase filtration pressure from 0.8 MPa to 2.0 MPa across the screen changer.
In solvent-borne lamination of aluminum foil to coated paperboard, ELVAX 3170SHB is dissolved at 35–40 wt% solids in a toluene/methyl ethyl ketone/ethyl acetate blend using a high-viscosity dissolver fitted with a 45° pitched-blade turbine at 180–220 rpm and jacket temperature 55–65 °C. The resin component of the dry adhesive film is maintained at 15–25 wt% of total solids, with the balance comprising rosin ester tackifier, microcrystalline wax, and 0.3–0.5 wt% hindered phenolic antioxidant. Reverse-roll or gravure coating deposits 3–5 g/m² dry coat weight onto the foil or paper web, followed by a three-zone drying tunnel at 60 °C, 75 °C, and 90 °C and lamination nip pressure of 0.4–0.7 MPa at 70–85 °C. Viscosity drift is controlled by continuously measuring solids content and holding the solvent ratio within ±1%; published data for the exact evaporation-rate profile of this formulation is limited, so production lines rely on near-infrared solvent monitoring at the gravure bath rather than theoretical drying models. Compliance for flexible food packaging is assessed under FDA 21 CFR 175.105 and FDA 21 CFR 177.1350, with overall migration testing under EU Regulation No 10/2011 and residual solvent limits agreed in the supply-chain food-contact risk assessment. Bond strength is verified by ASTM D1876 T-peel and direct fibre-tear evaluation. Terminal finished goods include aluminum foil/paper lidding for dry food sachets, paper/polyethylene laminations for multi-pack overwrap, and metallized paper soap wraps that must withstand foil-curl stress at −20 °C without tunnelling. The main production defect in laminating tunnels is solvent popping when the first drying zone exceeds 65 °C, producing pinholes that are often undetected until metallization; the corrective action is to reduce the first-zone temperature and increase the third-zone residence time by 20%.
Compounding ELVAX 3170SHB into polypropylene sheet formulations requires balancing impact modification against a measurable loss in flexural modulus. In extruded and injection-moulded polyolefin compounds, the EVA is added at 5–15 wt% of the PP matrix; at 10 wt%, notched Izod impact energy per ISO 180 increases relative to neat PP, while tensile strength per ISO 527-2 and flexural modulus per ISO 178 follow a near-linear dilution curve with increasing EVA content. Compounders use co-rotating twin-screw extruders with L/D 44:1, barrel zones 190–210 °C, die temperature 205 °C, vacuum venting at −0.08 MPa, and strand pelletizing; melt temperature is kept below 210 °C because prolonged residence above this threshold promotes acetic acid evolution and corrosion on standard nitrided screw and barrel surfaces. The EVA component forms a co-matrix phase with domain sizes in the 1–5 µm range after twin-screw dispersion, but published data for the exact phase morphology of ELVAX 3170SHB in heterophasic PP at 5 wt% loading is limited; process validation therefore requires differential scanning calorimetry for co-crystallinity and scanning electron microscopy of cryofractured samples. Regulatory compliance for electric and electronic appliance compounds is anchored to REACH and RoHS 2011/65/EU, with heat distortion temperature, tensile, and flammability reporting under ISO 75-2, ISO 527-2, and UL 94 where contractually specified. Terminal finished products include automotive interior trim retainers, appliance housing gaskets, extruded sheet for dunnage trays, and polypropylene edge-banding that requires improved low-temperature embrittlement resistance. The most common production bottleneck on twin-screw lines is strand breakage when the EVA phase is inadequately dispersed; the corrective procedure is to feed EVA granules through the main hopper with PP rather than through a side stuffer, because side-arm feeding below 190 °C increases ungelled polymer agglomerates at the strand die.
Crosslinked EVA foam sheet production for closed-cell cushioning starts with ELVAX 3170SHB charged at 100 phr as the base polymer in an internal mixer running at 105–115 °C and 40–50 rpm, with dicumyl peroxide at 0.8–1.2 phr, azodicarbonamide at 4–6 phr, zinc oxide at 1–2 phr, and zinc stearate at 1–2 phr; the peroxide initiates crosslinking while the blowing agent decomposes to generate the closed-cell structure, so the ratio of peroxide to azodicarbonamide is the principal formulation lever for density and tear strength. After discharge onto a two-roll mill at 90–100 °C, the sheet is hot-pressed or continuously vulcanized at 165–175 °C under 10–15 MPa for 8–12 min; shifting the press temperature from 170 °C to 175 °C shortens the peroxide half-life and can trap gas when blowing agent decomposition lags crosslinking, producing internal splits that appear only after demolding. The expanded sheet is matured at 40–60 °C for 24–48 h before die cutting because immediate conversion can produce width shrinkage of 2–4%. Compliance for footwear and sports mat applications falls under REACH, and for articles marketed to children under Directive 2009/48/EC with specific attention to formamide release from azodicarbonamide; physical property reporting follows ASTM D3575 for flexible cellular olefin materials and ISO 1798 for tensile and elongation of flexible cellular polymeric materials. Terminal finished products include athletic shoe midsoles, sandal soles, anti-fatigue mats, protective packaging inserts, and reusable sports rollers. The most frequent production defect in sheet foam plants is density variation across the platen caused by hot-spot deviations of ±5 °C, which can change foam density by up to 0.25 g/cm³ between centre and edge positions; thermal mapping of the press and reduced ram pressure during the initial 30 s of blowing are used to narrow this distribution.
During production of polymer-modified bitumen waterproofing membranes, ELVAX 3170SHB is added at 3–6 wt% of bitumen to improve low-temperature flexibility and reduce cold-flow relative to straight-run bitumen; self-adhesive membrane compounds may use 8–10 wt% only when filler loading is reduced to manage process viscosity. The polymer is dispersed in a high-shear rotor-stator mill or colloid mill at 170–180 °C with rotor tip speed above 15 m/s and circulation times of 45–90 min; the modified bitumen is then compounded with 20–30 wt% calcium carbonate filler and coated onto polyester or glass-fibre reinforcement at 140–160 °C. Storage stability is evaluated at 160 °C for 72 h using the sampling and physical test framework of ASTM D5147 or the plant-specific equivalent, with ring-and-ball softening point and low-temperature flexibility measured before and after storage; published data for the exact storage stability of ELVAX 3170SHB-modified oxidised bitumen at 6 wt% is limited, so each plant quantifies phase separation through the difference in softening point after storage. Compliance for roofing membranes is anchored to EN 1109 for low-temperature flexibility, ASTM D5147 for modified bituminous sheet sampling and testing, and Regulation (EU) No 305/2011 for CE marking of construction products. Terminal finished products include torch-applied polyester-reinforced roofing membranes, bridge deck waterproofing layers, self-adhesive bituminous flashing tapes, and below-grade tanking sheets where cold-temperature crack bridging is specified. A processing limitation in modified-bitumen lines is the balance between high-shear polymer dispersion and thermal oxidation of the bitumen; extended stirring beyond 90 min at 180 °C increases softening point drift and can embrittle the final membrane enough to reduce crack-bridging capacity.
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ELVAX 3170SHB is an ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer supplied in high-bulk pellet form. The nominal vinyl acetate content is 18 wt%, and the melt index determined at 190 °C under a 2.16 kg load is 2.5 g/10 min when tested in accordance with ASTM D1238 or ISO 1133-1:2022. The solid-state density is approximately 0.940 g/cm³ by ASTM D1505. The melting peak is reported near 73 °C by differential scanning calorimetry according to ISO 11357-3, and the Vicat softening point is near 68 °C by ASTM D1525/ISO 306. The 18 wt% vinyl acetate content reduces crystalline order relative to lower-comonomer grades, while the 2.5 g/10 min melt index places the material in the low-flow, high-melt-strength segment of the ethylene vinyl acetate family. The CAS registry number for ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer is 24937-78-8.
Table 1 summarizes benchmark values commonly used for incoming inspection and material substitution. These are nominal commercial literature values and should not be interpreted as lot-release limits.
| Parameter | Reference method | Typical value |
|---|---|---|
| Melt index | ASTM D1238 / ISO 1133-1:2022 | 2.5 g/10 min |
| Density | ASTM D1505 | 0.940 g/cm³ |
| Vinyl acetate content | ASTM D5594 | 18 wt% |
| Melting peak | ISO 11357-3 | near 73 °C |
| Vicat softening point | ASTM D1525 / ISO 306 | near 68 °C |
Mechanical property data for ethylene vinyl acetate with 18 wt% vinyl acetate and low melt index typically show tensile strength at break in the range of 10 MPa to 15 MPa by ASTM D638, elongation at break above 700%, and Shore A hardness between 90 and 95 by ASTM D2240. These values should be verified against the lot certificate because comonomer distribution and molecular architecture can shift the balance between stiffness and toughness. The low melt index corresponds to relatively high viscosity; in extrusion coating this produces higher melt tension and a wider draw-down window than 8 g/10 min grades, but also increases screw torque and melt pressure at the die.
The comonomer concentration exerts the largest first-order influence on crystallinity, polarity, and thermal resistance. At 18 wt% vinyl acetate, the polyethylene crystallites are disrupted enough to improve clarity and adhesion relative to 9 wt% and 12 wt% grades, but remain sufficient to retain heat resistance and creep resistance. Higher-VA grades such as 25 wt% and 28 wt% display lower melting peaks and improved wetting on polar substrates, but they also exhibit greater blocking and lower Vicat softening points. In hot-melt systems, substitution of 18 wt% vinyl acetate with 28 wt% vinyl acetate generally shifts adhesive failure from cohesive-dominated to interfacial-dominated on aluminium and polyester, while heat-fail temperature measured by ASTM D4498 decreases. Conversely, replacing 18 wt% vinyl acetate with 9 wt% or 12 wt% vinyl acetate improves elevated-temperature resistance but sacrifices adhesion to polar primers and increases melt viscosity at equivalent melt index.
| Grade | Vinyl acetate (wt%) | Melt index (g/10 min at 190 °C, 2.16 kg) | Density (g/cm³) |
|---|---|---|---|
| ELVAX 3170SHB | 18 | 2.5 | 0.940 |
| ELVAX 450 | 18 | 8 | 0.940 |
| ELVAX 470 | 18 | 0.7 | 0.940 |
| ELVAX 350 | 25 | 19 | 0.950 |
| ELVAX 260 | 28 | 6 | 0.950 |
The selection between ELVAX 3170SHB and ELVAX 450 is primarily governed by melt strength and penetration. The 2.5 g/10 min grade is preferred when the molten adhesive must bridge gaps or remain in place on vertical surfaces, whereas the 8 g/10 min grade is used in low-grammage spiral-spray packaging where application viscosity is limited. The 0.7 g/10 min grade provides higher melt strength but can create excessive backpressure in gear pumps and narrow die lips. In polymer modification, the low melt index of ELVAX 3170SHB contributes to higher room-temperature toughness in polyolefin compounds, but it must be dispersed with sufficient shear; otherwise the EVA phase can remain as large domains and reduce transparency.
In hot-melt adhesive compounding, ELVAX 3170SHB is combined with tackifier resins and waxes in jacketed sigma-blade mixers or planetary mixers. A representative packaging adhesive formulation may contain 30 wt% to 40 wt% EVA, 30 wt% to 45 wt% tackifier, and 20 wt% to 30 wt% wax. Mixing is performed under nitrogen at 170 °C to 190 °C. In production batches of 100 kg to 500 kg, rotor speeds of 20 min⁻¹ to 40 min⁻¹ are typical; higher speeds can generate localized overheating that accelerates vinyl acetate cleavage. The final adhesive is evaluated by Brookfield thermosel viscosity at 180 °C, ring-and-ball softening point by ASTM E28, and heat-fail temperature by ASTM D4498. Continuous compounding on a co-rotating twin-screw extruder with L/D 40:1 to 48:1 uses split-fed tackifier injection after the first kneading block; this reduces torque peaks and lowers melt temperature by 5 °C to 8 °C compared with all-in-one feeding.
Batch-to-batch variation in tackifier compatibility can appear as haze or surface bloom. The compatibility of ELVAX 3170SHB with hydrocarbon tackifiers is lower than with 25 wt% or 28 wt% vinyl acetate grades because of lower polar content; this is quantified by cloud point or by dynamic mechanical analysis of the annealed blend. If haze persists, replacement of part of the hydrocarbon tackifier with a rosin ester or addition of a compatibilizing wax may be required.
The high-bulk pellet form is designed to reduce bridging and improve drawdown in conical hoppers. Bulk density is not a melt-state specification and should be taken from the lot certificate. Pellet softening at feed throat temperatures above 45 °C can cause screw slip and feed surging; therefore, feed throat cooling water at 15 °C to 25 °C is maintained. For compounding with segmented co-rotating twin-screw extruders, barrel set points are ramped from 120 °C to 220 °C, with screw speeds from 200 min⁻¹ to 350 min⁻¹ for 40:1 L/D to 44:1 L/D machines. The melt temperature should remain below 230 °C; above that threshold, deacetylation of vinyl acetate releases acetic acid and creates corrosive downstream conditions. Capillary rheometry at 190 °C over apparent shear rates of 100 s⁻¹ to 1 000 s⁻¹ shows shear-thinning behaviour. The low melt index generates higher pressure drop through screen packs and dies than 8 g/10 min and 19 g/10 min grades, so screen pack area and die lip geometry must be increased for the same throughput.
Relative to ELVAX 460 with the same nominal vinyl acetate content and melt index, the SHB variant is differentiated by pellet morphology rather than melt-state composition; converters that dose the resin from hoppers may observe reduced bridging, while users of standard cut-thread pellets may not detect any rheological difference. Published data comparing the two forms under plant-scale vacuum conveying is limited, so silo draw-down studies are recommended before a direct form-swap.
Polymer modification with ELVAX 3170SHB is used in polyolefin films and compounds to improve impact toughness. In polypropylene-based compounds, addition levels of 5 wt% to 15 wt% are dispersed in a twin-screw extruder to reduce brittle failure. The EVA domain size should be controlled below 1 µm for transparency; otherwise light scattering increases. Field experience on production lines with 40:1 L/D twin-screw extruders shows that feeding all components in the main hopper can leave undispersed EVA domains in short residence times; side-feeding or masterbatch dilution is preferred.
In extrusion coating, ELVAX 3170SHB is processed at melt temperatures of 220 °C to 240 °C. The low melt index contributes to lower neck-in by increasing elongational viscosity; the effect is evaluated on cast-film lines with die gaps of 0.5 mm to 0.8 mm and chill roll temperatures of 10 °C to 20 °C. When the draw distance exceeds 200 mm, the melt curtain of a lower-MI EVA remains more stable than that of an 8 g/10 min grade. Hot-tack performance is measured on a heat-seal tester at 120 °C to 140 °C, 0.5 s dwell, and 0.2 MPa jaw pressure; reported values depend on seal bar geometry and film gauge. Edge trim can be recycled at up to 20 wt% in the EVA layer if ground below 10 mm and dried when ambient relative humidity exceeds 60%.
Troubleshooting on production lines often identifies melt fracture at the die exit as a consequence of insufficient melt temperature or excessive output. Raising the melt temperature within the 220 °C to 240 °C range can eliminate melt fracture by reducing melt viscosity, but only if residence time remains short. If edge tear occurs, the cause is often too high a draw-down ratio or non-uniform die lip temperature. A lip temperature variation of more than 3 °C across the die width can introduce gauge variation and curtain instability.
Deacetylation of the vinyl acetate group becomes kinetically relevant above 230 °C and accelerates with residence time. In hot-melt tanks held at 180 °C, viscosity drift can be maintained below 10% over 8 h when an antioxidant package is present and oxygen is excluded; without stabilizers, acid number increases and the melt darkens. For extrusion, maximum barrel residence time should be derived from the screw profile and throughput rather than from a fixed rule. However, start-up and shutdown sequences should avoid holding the melt at full temperature for more than 15 min because stagnant melt near barrel walls can degrade even at nominal set points. Acids generated by degradation can attack downstream aluminium and tool steel surfaces; vent ports should be connected to an acid-resistant exhaust system.
When service temperatures above 60 °C under continuous load become decisive, grade selection should shift away from 18 wt% vinyl acetate unless the fully formulated compound is tested for heat resistance by ASTM D4498. If the failure mode is peel on aluminium or polyester, a higher-VA grade may provide a larger adhesion safety factor. Conversely, if tackifier compatibility is limited, lower-VA grades show better compatibility with aliphatic waxes and lower cloud point. The selection is confirmed by ASTM D4498 heat-fail temperature, ASTM D1876 T-peel, and ASTM E28 ring-and-ball softening point, not by nominal grade properties alone.
Formulations containing ELVAX 3170SHB should avoid strongly alkaline additives and Lewis-acid catalysts that accelerate ester cleavage. Antioxidants based on hindered phenols and phosphites are typically added at 0.1 wt% to 0.3 wt% during compounding. The resin should be stored below 40 °C and protected from direct sunlight. When bags have equilibrated at relative humidity above 60%, pre-drying at 50 °C to 60 °C for 2 h to 4 h is recommended before extrusion coating or extrusion lamination. Food-contact status of the fully formulated article must be confirmed under 21 CFR 177.1350 and EU Regulation (EU) No 10/2011, including specific migration testing for vinyl acetate and any additives. Vinyl acetate is subject to a specific migration limit of 12 mg/kg under EU Regulation (EU) No 10/2011. The neat resin is not intended for medical implant use.
