Meta Description: Discover the world’s leading LLDPE and metallocene PE brands from ExxonMobil, Dow, Sinopec, and more. Find the right polyethylene supplier for your film, injection molding, and rotational molding needs.
Every polyethylene supplier knows that brand selection shapes product performance and processing efficiency. Global manufacturers produce hundreds of LLDPE and metallocene PE grades for specific applications. This guide covers the most influential PE resin families across international and Chinese markets.
Two notes before we begin. First, this list covers the most common brand families, not every grade available. Second, HDPE and high-pressure LDPE are excluded from this summary.
1. How PE Linear Brands Are Classified
Brand families fall into three categories that every polyethylene supplier must evaluate before recommending a grade.
1.1 Production Process
Unipol, Sclairtech, Innovene, and Borstar technologies each produce resins with distinct molecular architectures. Two resins with identical density and melt index can behave differently on the same extrusion line. The root cause is their fundamentally different reactor types and catalyst systems.
1.2 Target Application
Film-grade LLDPE requires different comonomer distribution than injection-molding or rotational-molding grades. A polyethylene supplier who matches brand to application helps converters avoid costly trial-and-error runs. This domain knowledge is what separates a transactional vendor from a true sourcing partner.
1.3 Comonomer Type
Linear PE derives its short-chain branching from butene-1, hexene-1, or octene-1 comonomers. The performance hierarchy is straightforward: octene copolymers outperform hexene, and hexene outperforms butene. This gap manifests in dart impact, tear resistance, and environmental stress crack resistance. Some manufacturers embed comonomer type directly in the brand name for transparency.
2. International Polyethylene Giants and Their Signature PE Brands
2.1 ExxonMobil: The Metallocene Pioneer
ExxonMobil owns proprietary Exxpol metallocene technology and licenses the Unipol gas-phase process globally. The company has built one of the industry’s strongest mPE portfolios over the past two decades.
The Exceed mPE series targets high-performance film applications where standard LLDPE underperforms. Exceed 1018CA uses hexene comonomer for balanced processability and film strength. Exceed 1327KD relies on octene comonomer for superior toughness in demanding flexible packaging.
The Enable mPE series serves blown film and specialty resin applications. It delivers an optimal balance of stiffness, toughness, and bubble stability at high output rates.
For conventional applications, the LL series provides reliable butene- and hexene-copolymer LLDPE. LL 1001 and LL 1002 families cover general-purpose film, injection molding, and compounding.
2.2 Dow Chemical: The Industry Benchmark
Dow developed INSITE metallocene technology and remains the largest Unipol process licensee worldwide. Any polyethylene supplier discussion starts with Dow, whose product breadth spans every PE segment.
The ELITE mPE series is Dow’s flagship metallocene line for film and extrusion coating. ELITE 5400G delivers enhanced stiffness and toughness for downgauging applications. ELITE 5230GC offers outstanding sealant performance in multilayer packaging structures.
The DOWLEX LLDPE series is the most widely referenced hexene-copolymer benchmark in the industry. DOWLEX 2045G provides an optimal stiffness-toughness balance for heavy-duty sacks. DOWLEX 2038G offers higher flowability for thin-gauge cast film and stretch wrap.
Dow’s INNATE precision packaging resins push film toughness and optics to new limits. The AFFINITY plastomer and elastomer family improves sealability, clarity, and impact strength as a modifier.
2.3 LyondellBasell: The Polyolefin Powerhouse
LyondellBasell is one of the world’s largest polyolefin producers with a comprehensive LLDPE and mPE range. Its production spans Hostalen, Lupotech, and Spherilene technology platforms.
The Lupolen and Petrothene brands represent the company’s primary LLDPE offering for film and molding. Petrothene GA 56400 serves blown film applications requiring drawdown capability and mechanical strength.
The Metocene series covers LyondellBasell’s metallocene PE products for demanding end-uses. These grades deliver narrow molecular weight distribution, excellent organoleptics, and low extractables for food-contact packaging.
2.4 Borealis: Bimodal Technology Leader
Borealis built its reputation on Borstar bimodal technology, which combines slurry and gas-phase reactors. This approach produces unique molecular architecture with mechanical properties unattainable via single-reactor processes.
The Borstar FB series offers bimodal LLDPE for blown film applications. FB2230 is a benchmark hexene-copolymer grade with exceptional stiffness, toughness, and processability balance. It suits heavy-duty shipping sacks and agricultural film perfectly.
The Borstar FE series extends bimodal technology to extrusion coating applications. For plastomer and elastomer solutions, the Queo family competes directly with Dow’s AFFINITY line.
2.5 INEOS: Injection Molding and Rotomolding Specialist
INEOS operates primarily on the Innovene S slurry process for its linear PE products. These grades hold strong positions where narrow molecular weight distribution provides a processing advantage.
The Linear brand prefixes INEOS LLDPE grades for film and molding applications. Linear 24FSBA010 is a representative blown film grade with reliable performance. The Eltex brand covers select LLDPE products for specialized molding applications.
2.6 SABIC: Middle Eastern Scale and Diversity
SABIC leverages Unipol and CTR technologies to produce a diverse PE portfolio across Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. Its scale and geographic reach make it a key player in global PE trade flows.
SABIC 118W (butene-copolymer film) and SABIC 218W (hexene-copolymer film) are among the most traded LLDPE grades globally. The shift from 118W to 218W reflects the industry-wide upgrade toward hexene copolymers.
The SABIC mPE series — including F184FS — targets sophisticated flexible packaging with superior sealing and optics.
2.7 TotalEnergies: The European Benchmark
TotalEnergies operates Innovene gas-phase technology to deliver a full range of PE products for global markets. Lacqtene and Lotrene serve as the company’s primary LLDPE brands across multiple regions.
Lotrene LLDPE 1020FN24 is a hexene-copolymer film grade that dominates European and African general-purpose blown film. The brand earns strong recognition among polyethylene suppliers who value consistent quality and broad specifications.
3. Chinese Polyethylene Manufacturers: Brands Every Buyer Should Know
Chinese producers use a uniform naming convention based on abbreviation, density, melt index, and functional code. This structure simplifies grade comparison for buyers seeking a reliable China polyethylene supplier.
3.1 Sinopec: China’s Largest PE Producer
Sinopec operates through Shanghai, Yangzi, Zhenhai, and Qilu Petrochemical using the DFDA naming system. D stands for polyethylene, F for forming method, and DA for the serial designation.
DFDA-7042 is China’s most widely produced hexene-copolymer film grade and the domestic market benchmark. Its broad processing window and balanced properties make it the default choice for general-purpose blown film. DFDA-7047 and DFDA-7068 extend the range with modified comonomer distribution for specific uses. DFDA-9020 represents Sinopec’s octene-copolymer capability for higher-end packaging applications.
Shanghai Petrochemical’s mPE F181F and mPE F331F hold strong positions in the domestic metallocene PE market. Qilu Petrochemical’s QHM22F targets heat-seal and high-clarity film applications with competitive performance.
For rotational molding, DNDA-7144 and DNDA-7146 are the standard Chinese market choices. They deliver the grinding and sintering performance that rotomolders require for consistent part quality.
3.2 CNPC (PetroChina): Driving High-End Innovation
PetroChina operates through Dushanzi, Daqing, Lanzhou, and Fushun Petrochemical with naming conventions parallel to Sinopec. The 7042 series mirrors Sinopec’s benchmark and offers interchangeable performance for most standard film applications. Every polyethylene supplier in China maintains inventory across multiple 7042 sources for supply continuity.
Dushanzi Petrochemical’s 0209AA hexene-copolymer grade has gained strong traction in heavy-duty packaging. Its metallocene PE products — HPR18H10AX and HPR18H35DX — rank among China’s most advanced domestic mPE grades. These resins now compete with imported metallocene grades in demanding flexible packaging applications.
Fushun Petrochemical’s 1018MA is one of China’s few commercial octene-copolymer LLDPE grades. It fills a critical gap in the domestic supply chain for high-end PE raw material.
3.3 Coal-Based and Independent Producers
Shaanxi Yanchang Petroleum produces DFDA-7042 using coal-to-olefins technology for a cost-competitive PE alternative. Baofeng Energy’s 7042 grade follows the same coal-chemical route, expanding China’s non-naphtha PE capacity significantly.
Zhejiang Petrochemical’s LL 0220KJ represents the new integrated refining-chemical complex entering the PE market. These world-scale facilities combine modern technology platforms with competitive feedstock advantages.
4. How a Knowledgeable Polyethylene Supplier Adds Value
Selecting the right PE resin involves far more than matching density and melt index on a datasheet. An experienced polyethylene supplier evaluates comonomer type, molecular weight distribution, catalyst technology, and additive package. Each variable is assessed against the customer’s specific processing equipment and end-use requirements.
Butene, hexene, and octene comonomer choice defines the performance ceiling for any LLDPE grade. Sinopec DFDA-7042 (hexene) consistently outperforms butene-copolymer equivalents in dart impact and tear resistance. This holds true even when basic specification sheets appear identical at first glance. Metallocene PE from ExxonMobil or Dow delivers composition uniformity that conventional Ziegler-Natta catalysts cannot replicate. However, this advantage must be weighed against higher resin cost and potentially narrower processing windows.
For international buyers, the right polyethylene supplier bridges global brand knowledge and regional market dynamics. Whether sourcing DOWLEX 2045G, DFDA-7042, or specialized Exceed mPE grades, informed supplier selection drives production consistency. This reference guide provides the foundation for those sourcing decisions.
Disclaimers: Brand names mentioned in this article are trademarks of their respective owners. Grade specifications are subject to change without notice. Always consult the latest manufacturer datasheet before procurement. This guide serves reference purposes only and does not constitute purchasing recommendations.
