| HS Code | 152446 |
| Manufacturer | Westlake Chemical |
| Product | ELEVATE EF546 |
| Polymer Type | Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA) Copolymer |
| Vinyl Acetate Content | 18% |
| Melt Flow Index | 2.5 g/10min (190°C/2.16kg) |
| Density | 0.940 g/cm3 |
| Melting Point | 86°C |
| Vicat Softening Temperature | 59°C |
| Tensile Strength | 20 MPa |
| Elongation At Break | 700% |
| Flexural Modulus | 45 MPa |
| Shore A Hardness | 90 |
| Brittleness Temperature | -70°C |
As an accredited ELEVATE EF546 Ethylene Vinyl Acetate Copolymer factory, we enforce strict quality protocols—every batch undergoes rigorous testing to ensure consistent efficacy and safety standards.
| Packing | ELEVATE EF546 Ethylene Vinyl Acetate Copolymer supplied as free-flowing pellets in 25 kg polyethylene-lined bags, with palletized shrink-wrapped quantities. |
| Container Loading (20′ FCL) | 20′ FCL loading of ELEVATE EF546 EVA copolymer: secure palletized bags, even weight distribution, dry container, safe handling and transport. |
| Shipping | ELEVATE EF546 Ethylene Vinyl Acetate Copolymer ships as solid pellets in clean, dry bags or boxes. Ensure containers are sealed to prevent moisture absorption and dust generation. Store away from heat, sparks, and oxidizers. Transport via standard freight is safe, avoiding excessive pressure and humidity. No special hazardous shipping classification required. |
| Storage | Store ELEVATE EF546 Ethylene Vinyl Acetate Copolymer in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area away from direct sunlight, heat, and ignition sources. Keep containers tightly closed when not in use to prevent moisture pickup and contamination. Maintain storage temperatures within manufacturer guidelines, and separate from oxidizing agents and incompatible chemicals to avoid degradation or hazardous reactions. |
| Shelf Life | Shelf life is typically 2 years from manufacture when stored in a cool, dry area away from sunlight. |
Hot-melt adhesive production involves a narrow viscosity-stability window during continuous coating and intermittent application. ELEVATE EF546 is incorporated at 18–35 wt% in the final adhesive formulation, combined with 30–50 wt% tackifying resin, 20–35 wt% paraffin or Fischer-Tropsch wax, and 0.5–1.0 phr hindered phenolic antioxidant. Batch preparation takes place in a heated sigma-blade kneader or anchor agitator vessel with thermal oil jackets maintained at 160–180 °C; production-scale equipment typically uses 500–2,000 L working capacity and an inert gas blanket to reduce oxidative viscosity drift. Lot-specific melt flow rate and vinyl acetate content should be verified against the ELEVATE EF546 certificate of analysis and measured according to ISO 1133-1:2022 at 190 °C/2.16 kg. Regulatory benchmarks include FDA 21 CFR 175.105 for food-contact adhesives, EU Regulation No 10/2011 where indirect migration is relevant, and REACH (EC) No 1907/2006 for substance registration. Processing experience shows that repeated heating cycles above 180 °C for more than 8 h can shift viscosity by more than ±10% and increase char formation on the kneader walls. Terminal product types include case and carton sealing adhesives, perfect-bound book spine glues, edge-banding strips, and packaging hot-melt pellets supplied in 20–25 kg bags or bulk silo systems.
In chemically crosslinked foaming operations, the decomposition profile of azodicarbonamide must be matched to the half-life of dicumyl peroxide between 150 °C and 170 °C; if gas release outpaces crosslink development, cell walls rupture before the melt gains sufficient strength, producing internal blowholes and collapse. For footwear midsole and sheet foam, 100 phr ELEVATE EF546 is formulated with 2.0–4.0 phr azodicarbonamide, 0.6–0.9 phr dicumyl peroxide, 1.0–2.0 phr zinc oxide, 0.5–1.0 phr stearic acid, and 10–30 phr calcium carbonate filler. Mixing begins in a 55–75 L Banbury internal mixer at 95–110 °C for EVA pellets, filler, zinc oxide, and stearic acid; peroxide and blowing agent are then dispersed on a 60–70 °C two-roll mill to stay below decomposition onset. Preform sheets are heated to 80–90 °C and pressed at 5–10 MPa; the crosslinking expansion stage runs in a compression press at 155–165 °C for 6–10 min under 15 MPa, followed by controlled opening to permit secondary expansion. The process window remains narrow: cavity temperature deviations greater than ±3 °C are controlled because the resulting density distribution is measurable as skin-core variation via ISO 845:2022. Regulatory screening for this application is directed at REACH (EC) No 1907/2006 Annex XVII restricted substances and, for North American footwear programs, California Proposition 65 listed substances; mechanical testing commonly references ISO 1798:2019 for tensile properties of flexible cellular materials and ASTM D395-18 compression set. Published data for ELEVATE EF546 in large-format crosslinked sheet is limited; however, established industrial practice for ethylene-vinyl acetate foam grades with equivalent comonomer content provides the baseline processing window. Terminal product types include injection-molded midsole units, compression-molded sheets converted into flip-flops and wedge soles, and crosslinked floor tiles for sports and play surfaces.
Halogen-free flame-retardant cable jacket compounds based on ELEVATE EF546 are filled with mineral hydrate systems that suppress flame by endothermic decomposition and water release, but that same water release creates a hard processing ceiling. A typical formulation uses 100 phr ELEVATE EF546, 120–180 phr aluminum trihydroxide with a median particle size of 1.0–1.5 μm, 0–60 phr magnesium hydroxide partial replacement, 1.0–2.0 phr organosilane coupling agent, 5–15 phr zinc borate, and 0.5–1.2 phr hindered phenolic antioxidant. The masterbatch is compounded on a co-rotating twin-screw extruder with 40:1 L/D, side-fed filler ports, and vacuum devolatilization; melt temperature is kept between 140 °C and 170 °C because aluminum trihydroxide begins releasing chemically bound water at approximately 180–200 °C, and any excursion above this band generates moisture at the die face, surface porosity, and erratic pelletizing. Cable jacketing then uses a 60–90 mm single-screw extruder with 25:1 L/D, compression screw geometry, and a crosshead die operating at 150–175 °C melt temperature; downstream cooling trough temperatures are staged from 40 °C to 15 °C to avoid jacket shrinkage. Process controls include continuous torque monitoring because filler attrition reduces dispersion quality and creates localized overheating; jacket surfaces showing roughness or microscopic voids often trace back to worn screw elements or excess moisture on incoming filler.
| Standard designation | Measured property | Operational relevance |
|---|---|---|
| IEC 60332-1-2:2015 | Vertical flame spread on single insulated conductor | Confirms jacket flame-retardant character without metallic armor |
| EN 50267-2-2:1999 | pH and conductivity of combustion gases | Verifies halogen-free acid gas emission |
| ASTM D2863-23 | Limiting oxygen index | Quantifies ignitability under controlled oxygen concentration |
| IEC 60811-501:2012 | Mechanical properties of sheathing | Measures elongation at break before and after ageing |
| EN 50575:2014+A1:2016 | Fire performance under CPR | Declares Euroclass for construction product cables |
Production-scale experience with high filler loadings shows that melt pressure in the cable head should not exceed 30 MPa for 90 mm crossheads to avoid excessive shear heating. Jacket tensile properties are verified according to IEC 60811-501:2012, with elongation at break monitored before and after thermal ageing; the actual limits are cable specification-dependent, but lot-to-lot variation is minimized when pellet moisture before extrusion is held below 0.05% by weight. The compound must also comply with RoHS Directive 2011/65/EU and REACH (EC) No 1907/2006 candidate list restrictions applicable to wire and cable articles. Terminal product types include halogen-free sheathing for low-voltage power cables, control cables, photovoltaic string cables, and construction product cables where fire performance is declared under EN 50575:2014+A1:2016.
In polymer-modified bitumen production, ELEVATE EF546 is dispersed as a thermoplastic elastomer modifier to widen the service-temperature window between low-temperature cracking and high-temperature rutting. The addition ratio is 4–8 wt% based on total bitumen mass, with high-network waterproofing membrane formulations occasionally reaching 10 wt% where low-temperature flexibility is more important than storage stability. Production begins in a jacketed mixing vessel equipped with a rotor-stator high-shear mixer; bitumen is heated to 170–190 °C under inert gas, and ELEVATE EF546 pellets are fed gradually over 15–30 min to avoid particle agglomeration. After high-shear dispersion, the batch is transferred to a low-shear agitation tank with helical impeller tip speed of 0.5–1.0 m/s and held for 2–4 h to allow polymer swelling and phase inversion. The governing tests include ASTM D6084-21 for elastic recovery, ASTM D6373-23 for Superpave performance grading, and EN 13707:2018 for roofing and waterproofing membranes; low-temperature flexibility is checked using EN 1109:2013 or ASTM D5147-18 depending on the membrane specification. Operational limits are narrow: bulk temperature above 190 °C accelerates bitumen oxidation and can reduce elastic recovery below the project limit, while insufficient shear leaves polymer-rich surface skins that cause specification failures. Terminal product types include PMB roofing membranes, bridge-deck waterproofing sheets, road pavement binders, and bituminous sealants for civil infrastructure joints.
Running high-speed form-fill-seal packaging lines with ELEVATE EF546-modified seal layers requires precise control of seal initiation temperature, coefficient of friction, and optical clarity after heat sealing. ELEVATE EF546 is blended at 5–20 wt% into linear low-density polyethylene or low-density polyethylene so that the seal layer develops a melting endotherm onset between 85 °C and 95 °C when measured by differential scanning calorimetry at 10 °C/min according to ISO 11357-3:2018. Film production uses three-layer or five-layer blown-film coextrusion with die diameter 200–400 mm, die gap 1.5–2.0 mm, melt temperature 180–200 °C, blow-up ratio 2.5–3.0, and frost-line height adjusted for haze below 7%. Regulatory compliance for direct food contact requires conformity with EU Regulation No 10/2011 overall and specific migration limits and, for North American supply, FDA 21 CFR 177.1520 olefin polymer requirements. Heat-seal strength is evaluated on a 0.5 s dwell and 2 bar jaw pressure according to ASTM F88/F88M-21; on 40 μm film structures, operators typically compare lot-specific results to a minimum of 15 N/25 mm although specification limits vary by package format. Additive packages such as slip agents, antiblock, and processing aids can shift seal initiation temperature by ±5 °C and must be matched to the ELEVATE EF546 lot certificate. Terminal product types include lidding films for fresh-cut produce, frozen food pouches, medical device overwrap, and side-seal bags for logistics packaging.
Recycled polyolefin compounds often exhibit cold-brittle failure because incoming feedstock contains degraded fractions and incompatible residual polymers; addition of 5–25 wt% ELEVATE EF546 increases low-temperature energy absorption while retaining adequate tensile modulus for injection-molded articles. In concentrated masterbatch production, ELEVATE EF546 is used at 20–50 wt% as the carrier resin, with 30–60 wt% pigment or additive and 5–15 wt% processing aid dispersant. The compounding process runs on a co-rotating twin-screw extruder with 36:1–48:1 L/D, side-feeding zones for mineral filler or pigment presscake, and vacuum devolatilization at −0.08 MPa to remove moisture and low-molecular-weight volatiles; melt temperature is maintained at 190–220 °C, and strand pelletizing uses water bath temperatures of 30–40 °C to avoid pellet smearing. Mechanical validation follows ISO 180:2019 notched Izod impact, ISO 527-2:2012 tensile properties, and ASTM D256-23 for North American conversion; compliance screening requires RoHS Directive 2011/65/EU and REACH (EC) No 1907/2006 candidate list restrictions. Production-scale behavior shows that high EVA carrier loadings change melt flow rate as measured by ISO 1133-1:2022 at 190 °C/2.16 kg, and heat deflection temperature should be re-checked under ISO 75-2:2013 method A at 1.8 MPa when the formulation crosses the 25 wt% addition threshold. Terminal product types include impact-modified automotive battery box compounds, TPO interior blends, post-consumer recycled pallet formulations, and pigment masterbatches for blow-molded containers.
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ELEVATE EF546 is an ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer supplied as free-flowing pellets for blown film, cast film, profile extrusion, extrusion coating, and melt compounding. The resin is composed of an ethylene backbone with randomly distributed vinyl acetate comonomer units; the vinyl acetate content determines polarity, crystallinity, gas permeability, and heat-seal initiation. The EF546 designation identifies the melt-flow and comonomer package, while the ELEVATE prefix is the product-line identifier. The certificate of analysis is the controlling document for lot-specific vinyl acetate content, melt flow rate, density, and antioxidant package. Representative characterization windows for this segment are vinyl acetate content 18–28 wt%, melt flow rate 1.5–6.0 g/10 min at 190 °C under 2.16 kg load according to ISO 1133-1:2022, and density 0.937–0.950 g/cm³ at 23 °C under ISO 1183-1:2019. Differential scanning calorimetry per ISO 11357-3:2018 typically produces a peak melting endotherm between 75 °C and 95 °C, with crystallinity reduced by approximately 40–60% relative to low-density polyethylene. The random distribution of vinyl acetate comonomer shortens the methylene sequence length distribution, which lowers tensile modulus, raises elongation at break, and alters the seal initiation onset. Tensile stress at break measured on compression-molded plaques according to ISO 527-2:2012 typically falls between 10 MPa and 20 MPa, while elongation at break may exceed 600% depending on vinyl acetate content and conditioning. Shore hardness is commonly reported in the range of 80–95 Shore A or 30–40 Shore D under ISO 868:2003. Water absorption after 24 h immersion under ISO 62:2008 is typically below 0.1 wt%. These values are class-level representative values, not release specifications; published data for EF546 specifically must be confirmed with the supplier certificate of analysis.
Melt rheology of medium-VA grades of this type typically shows shear viscosity at 190 °C in the range of 500–2,000 Pa·s at 100 s⁻¹, but capillary rheometry per ISO 11443:2021 is required for final die design because molecular weight distribution and long-chain branching are lot-sensitive. The product is not hygroscopic in the bulk sense; moisture uptake is primarily surface condensation. If pellets are stored in unlined silos at relative humidity above 60%, the surface moisture can exceed 0.05 wt% and form pinpoint gassing during extrusion.
In tie-layer service, EF546 competes with ethylene acrylic acid copolymers, ethylene methacrylic acid ionomers, and maleic anhydride–grafted polyolefins. The vinyl acetate group is a non-reactive polar comonomer rather than an acid or anhydride functionality; adhesion develops through dispersion interaction, substrate wetting, and chain entanglement rather than covalent bond formation at the interface. Peel strength measured according to ISO 8510-2:2012 on flame-treated polyethylene or corona-treated polyester typically falls between 2.5 N/15 mm and 7.0 N/15 mm, depending on web treatment, melt temperature, and air gap. Maleic anhydride–grafted resins may produce higher peel strength on aluminum foil through ionic and covalent interactions, but EF546 tends to retain greater elongation and lower corrosivity toward tooling. Unlike acid copolymers, EF546 does not generate acidic adhesion by-products at ambient temperature; the thermal degradation risk is dominated by acetic acid release above 200 °C. Published data for this specific configuration is limited; the cited adhesion range should be verified on the target coextrusion line because corona treatment history, backside web moisture, and die lip geometry change the failure mode.
Differences from low-density polyethylene become most apparent in heat-seal operating windows. In blown film structures, the low-crystallinity ethylene segments permit seal initiation at 70–85 °C, approximately 15–25 °C below a comparable 0.923 g/cm³ LDPE. The hot-tack plateau is narrower than metallocene LLDPE because chain entanglement is lower at elevated seal-bar temperatures; maximum hot-tack typically occurs between 95 °C and 115 °C. Seal strength per ASTM F88/F88M-21 should be measured on the actual laminate because sealant layer thickness, backing stiffness, jaw dwell time, and seal-bar pressure dominate the measured value. Compared with higher vinyl acetate grades at 33 wt%, EF546 in the medium-VA segment exhibits higher tensile strength, improved blocking resistance, and lower surface tack, but the seal initiation temperature is 5–12 °C higher. Compared with ethylene methyl acrylate copolymers, EF546 offers stronger polar adhesion to cellulosic substrates and unprimed polyester at equivalent comonomer content, but thermal stability is lower because the acetate substituent is more susceptible to elimination than methyl ester groups. In blown film lines with 100 mm dies and 1.0–1.5 mm die gaps, the frost line height must be adjusted downward to compensate for lower melt strength; neck-in in cast film is typically larger than LDPE but smaller than high-MI metallocene grades. Blown film bubble stability is improved by blending 10–20 wt% LDPE to increase melt tension without suppressing the heat-seal benefit completely.
EF546 is mechanically compatible with LDPE, LLDPE, and ethylene-butyl acrylate copolymers in blown film and cast film processes, but the melt temperature of the blend should be controlled to the least thermally stable component. Blends with polypropylene generally exhibit poor interfacial adhesion without a compatibilizer; co-continuous structures are not formed at typical screw configurations, and the dispersed phase size depends on viscosity ratio. In adhesive compounding, tackifier compatibility is reduced as the vinyl acetate content increases; cloud point tests with hydrocarbon tackifiers should be used to confirm phase stability before scaling to production.
At processing temperatures above 200 °C, vinyl acetate sequences begin to eliminate acetic acid, and degradation accelerates rapidly above 230 °C. The screw design should reduce high-shear zones and minimize residence time distribution; single-screw extruders with 24:1 to 30:1 L/D barrels and screw compression ratios of 2.8:1 to 3.2:1 are preferred. Barrel temperature profiles in blown film are typically set from 130 °C at the feed throat to 210 °C at the die, with the die exit maintained below 220 °C. Residence time at melt temperature should not exceed 10 minutes, and screens finer than 150 µm can elevate melt pressure and shear heating. Melt path components should be stainless steel or chrome-plated tool steel; copper-based alloys are incompatible because acetic acid promotes corrosion. Production-scale equipment with unvented single-screw extruders has shown batch-to-batch variance in film gel counts when regrind exceeds 15 wt%, primarily from retained acetic acid and crosslinked gel particles. A vacuum vent at −0.08 MPa to −0.04 MPa should be used when available. Purging with a low-MFI LDPE or a commercial purging compound is acceptable; purging with PVC is contraindicated because hydrogen chloride generation can accelerate corrosion. Die lip build-up is minimized when the die exit temperature is maintained below 220 °C and the die gap is kept above 0.8 mm in cast film.
Pre-drying is not universally required because the polymer backbone is non-hydrolytic; however, surface moisture condensed during storage at relative humidity above 60% should be removed. Drying at 50–60 °C for 2–4 h with a desiccant dryer delivering a dew point of −40 °C is adequate for surface moisture; hopper dryers without desiccant beds are not recommended at RH > 60%. Residual moisture above 0.05 wt% produces pinpoint gassing in extrusion coating and reduces adhesion to aluminum foil.
When the grade is used in filled compounds with peroxide crosslinking, calcium carbonate loadings from 10 to 40 wt% can be dispersed in a 40:1 L/D co-rotating twin-screw extruder using distributive mixing elements, provided the screw speed is kept between 200 and 350 rpm to maintain specific energy input below 0.25 kWh/kg. At filler loadings above 30 wt%, melt fracture and surface roughness appear at shear rates above 1,000 s⁻¹ unless processing oil or a fatty-acid lubricant is added; the lubricant should not contain free amines because basic species accelerate acetic acid elimination at processing temperatures. Amine-containing antistatic agents and hindered amine light stabilizers should be evaluated cautiously for the same reason; published data for this specific configuration is limited, and screening in a torque rheometer is advised. Peroxide crosslinking with dicumyl peroxide at 0.5–1.5 phr is possible; scorch time measured by a moving-die rheometer according to ASTM D5289-17 at 180 °C should exceed 60 s to permit adequate melt flow before cure. Silane-grafted formulations should be stored sealed with desiccant after production and require ambient moisture for cure; residual methoxy silane affects downstream die lip build-up if the same line is not purged.
For final articles, the following verification matrix identifies the principal regulatory and test-method references; compliance is article-specific and requires migration or extraction testing on the actual thickness and additive package.
| Reference | Scope of verification |
|---|---|
| ISO 1133-1:2022 | Melt mass-flow rate at 190 °C and 2.16 kg load |
| ISO 1183-1:2019 | Density at 23 °C |
| ISO 527-2:2012 | Tensile stress and elongation at break on type 5A specimens |
| ISO 11357-3:2018 | Melting peak endotherm and crystallinity estimation |
| ISO 306:2022 | Vicat softening temperature, method A50 |
| 21 CFR 177.1520 | Olefin polymer food-contact status; extractives limits on final article |
| Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 | Overall migration limit of 10 mg/dm² on final article |
| Directive 2011/65/EU | RoHS recast restrictions on lead, mercury, cadmium, and hexavalent chromium in electrical and electronic equipment |
EF546 is used in flexible packaging sealant webs, extrusion coating primer layers, footwear foam compounding, hot-melt adhesive modification, cable sheathing compounds, and photovoltaic encapsulant screening. In extrusion coating, the melt temperature profile should be held at 180–220 °C, with the die exit not exceeding 220 °C. For hot-melt adhesive compounding, melt handling at 160–180 °C is typical. The grade is also screened in footwear foam formulations using azodicarbonamide blowing agents; decomposition is initiated at 190–210 °C, so blowing agent activation must be balanced against acetic acid elimination. In photovoltaic encapsulant screening, the medium-VA segment may exhibit higher light transmittance loss after damp-heat aging than high-VA grades; published data for EF546 in this configuration is limited and screening per IEC 61215-1:2021 is required before production qualification. Differences from other products in the ELEVATE line are grade-specific because EF546 is positioned for balanced adhesion, mechanical strength, and processability rather than maximum clarity or maximum polarity.
