Commodity
Index-linkedBulk Polyethylene follows a global index more than a boutique mill.
Prices are bands. A 2024 coil is not a 2026 contract. Labour and certification often dwarf the commodity.
Producers listed are landmarks for orientation, not a ranking or a procurement list.
Cost bands
Specified grade
PremiumTight chemistry, cleanliness or certification multiplies the unit price.
System
InstalledBoards, coats and labour dwarf kilogram prices.
Certified / medical / aero
HighestPaperwork is the product.
Trial / green route
PolicyLow-carbon or bio routes still trade on certificates.
Regions
East Asia
Volume production and finishing.
Europe
Standards (EN, Euroclass) and specialty.
North America
ASTM / NFPA language and large domestic mills.
Korea / Japan
High-spec sheet, fibres, electronics-adjacent ceramics.
Resource belts
Ore, plantations or energy that feed primary routes.
Global trade
Polyethylene moves as coils, bales, boards or chemicals — check HS codes, not vibes.
Key numbers
0.91–0.97 g/cm³Density
~0.4 W/m·KThermal
combustible olefinFire letter
44Atlas insulation
Producers
LyondellBasell
Unipol licensing heritage.
Dow
LLDPE and packaging.
ExxonMobil
Gas-phase PE.
SABIC
Gulf crackers.
Sinopec
Chinese volume.
DSM / Avient fibres
UHMWPE fibre lineage.
Ask for the route (primary, scrap, bio) before believing a green label.
Keep exploring
More in Polymers
🍳
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Plunkett’s slippery fluoropolymer — non-stick, chemical linings and a high-temp plastic that still has a fire-and-fume story.
Overall 41 🛞Natural rubber
Cis-1,4-polyisoprene from Hevea — tyres still drink most of the world’s latex.
Overall 44 🫧Silicone
Si–O backbone elastomers and resins — bakeware, medical tubing, façade sealants and a kinder high-temp story than carbon chains.
Overall 55