This chart shows HDPE price assessments in USA Dollar per metric ton (USD/mt) in 5 locations, as follows:
- HDPE (Yarn), MDE (Middle East): HDPE (yarn grade), export spot price, fob, Saudi Arabia (netback from cif China)
- HDPE (Yarn), CN (China): HDPE (yarn grade), domestic spot price, exw, China
- HDPE (Blow molding), EUR (Europe): HDPE (blow molding grade), domestic spot price, ddp, Northwest Europe
- HDPE (Film), EUR (Europe): HDPE (film grade), domestic spot price, ddp, Northwest Europe
- HDPE (Injection), EUR (Europe): HDPE (injection molding grade), domestic spot price, ddp, Northwest Europe
- HDPE (Blow molding), US (United States): HDPE (blow molding grade), domestic spot price, dpu, US Gulf
- HDPE (HMW film), US (United States): HDPE (high molecular weight film grade), domestic contract price, dpu, US Gulf
- HDPE, SEA (Southeast Asia): HDPE, spot price, cfr, India
The chart above is a sample of Intratec Primary Commodity Prices. Subscribe and access now current prices of 225 commodities, including HDPE.
Data Use
HDPE prices are provided as an annual subscription where subscribers have access to reliable pricing data of 225 commodities worldwide.
Intratec's methodology employs a structured big data strategy that utilizes advanced technologies to extract publicly available data from primary sources such as governmental trade records, statistics bureaus, and international agencies.
This data is then processed through mathematical models to generate reliable assessments, published at the very beginning of each month. To better understand the data provided check Intratec Primary Commodity Prices Methodology.
Data Delivery Methods
HDPE price assessments are available via different delivery methods:
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HDPE Price Outlook
HDPE Price Outlook. The price of HDPE (Yarn, China) increased during June 2020 to 1,100 USD per metric ton, which represents a considerable rise of 9% compared to the previous month’s value. On a year-over-year basis, the prices of HDPE (Yarn, China) decreased significantly by 15%. Meanwhile, the average price of HDPE (Southeast Asia) amounted to 1,060 USD per metric ton, from 1,260 USD per metric ton one year earlier. On a month-over-month basis, the price of HDPE (Southeast Asia) is 8% higher than the price one month before.
The price of HDPE (Yarn, Middle East) rose considerably throughout June 2020, reaching 1,020 USD per metric ton. The price is 8% higher than the average price in the previous month and 17% lower than the average price one year before. In contrast, the prices of HDPE (Blow molding, Europe) increased significantly during June 2020, reaching 898 USD per metric ton, which means a rise of 10% from the previous month’s price and a decline of 32% from the previous year’s price.
About HDPE
About HDPE. HDPE (a.k.a. High Density Polyethylene) is one of the three main types of polyethylene, figuring among the most used polymers worldwide. It is the most widely used polyethylene resin. HDPE may be either ethylene homopolymer or a copolymer of ethylene and alpha-olefins (1-hexene, 1-butene). Polyethylene is considered to be high density when having density greater than 0.94 g/cm³. Despite having density only marginally higher than that of low-density polyethylene (LDPE), HDPE presents larger strength-to-density ratio, due to its little branching and consequent stronger intermolecular forces. The high demand for polyethylene is in large part due to a combination of the availability of ethylene raw material, its relatively low cost and a wide variety of applications.
HDPE may be either ethylene homopolymer or a copolymer of ethylene and alpha-olefins, and is manufactured on commercial scale via low-pressure polymerization processes using mainly Ziegler-Natta or chromium-based catalysts. The main technologies suitable for its production include slurry, solution, and gas phase processes. The most common comonomers used commercially are 1-hexene and 1-butene. The physical and mechanical properties of final HDPE depend on its density, type, molecular weight (MW), and molecular weight distribution (MWD), characteristics controlled by the catalyst employed and reaction conditions.
HDPE Handling. HDPE may react with strong oxidizing agents and should not be stored near such materials. The bags must be stored at room temperature (preferably below 50 °C), in a well ventilated position and under dry conditions. HDPE can also be stored and/or transported in car silos, containers, or large cartons to avoid contamination, heat, and direct sunlight.
HDPE Production. HDPE Homopolymer production consists in the polymerization of ethylene without any other alpha-olefins, in such a way that different HDPE manufacturing routes are related to different sources of ethylene. In this context, typical HDPE production routes are based on ethylene manufacturing (via steam cracking of paraffinic hydrocarbons). Raw materials and the respective production processes employed in the manufacturing of HDPE are listed below.
- Ethylene + alpha-olefins (solution polymerization process),
- Ethylene (Ziegler slurry process),
- Ethylene (gas-phase polymerization)
HDPE Uses. The primary commercial forms of HDPE are injection molding, blow molding, and film. Blow molding grade demands low viscosity at high shear and high zero-shear viscosity to prevent sagging in the mold. Resins with broader molecular weight distributions, particularly with higher molecular weight, are preferred, and chromium catalysts are well-suited. The injection molding grade has a narrow molecular weight distribution to prevent frozen orientations, minimizing warping and fragility. Ziegler catalysts are often used to achieve this distribution. The blown-film grade often uses chromium-based or bimodal resins from Ziegler catalysts. Metallocene resins are also employed for high-clarity HDPE films. Typically, high-molecular-weight HDPE is employed in such applications (HMW film), although there are polymers with higher MW (e.g., UHMWPE ultrahigh MW Polyethylene).
Blow molding is the predominant application of HDPE, utilized for mass-producing items. It is widely applied in producing bottles for various industries, including food packaging, detergents, oil, household materials, industrial drums, fuel tanks, and toys. Injection-molding resins have lower average molecular weights, falling within the 3–80 melt index range. Various products, including cups, toys, and containers, are made with injection-molded HDPE. HDPE films, ranging from 0.007 to 0.125 mm thick, are versatile and used for various purposes, including food packaging, grocery bags, merchant bags, and drum liners.