IOCL Propel LLDPE 010F18A

IOCL Propel LLDPE 010F18A is a butene comonomer-based linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) manufactured by Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) under its PROPEL polymer brand. It is produced using Nova Chemicals’ Sclairtech solution polymerization technology — a precision process that delivers consistent molecular structure, reliable melt behaviour and well-balanced film properties. The grade is formulated without slip and antiblock additives, making it a non-slip film resin that gives converters full control over surface friction and ink adhesion through their own formulation rather than through resin-incorporated additives.

IOCL describes 010F18A as a natural-coloured polymer offering good processability and good mechanical properties. Its classification as a non-slip LLDPE film grade makes it distinctly different from IOCL’s 010F18S, which contains built-in slip and antiblock. The absence of these additives in 010F18A makes it the preferred choice for lamination surfaces, print layers and co-extruded structures where high surface energy, good ink adhesion and strong laminate bond strength are needed — properties that slip additives can compromise by migrating to the film surface and reducing adhesion.

According to IOCL’s product technical datasheet, LLDPE 010F18A is recommended for lamination films, co-extrusion films, drip laterals, stretch cling films and mulch films. This makes it a versatile blown film grade covering food packaging lamination structures, agricultural film applications and irrigation drip tape — all applications where the film must be strong, processable and either print-receptive or formulation-flexible.

Technical Insights

Resin Properties

• MFI: 0.90 g/10 min (ASTM D1238, 190 °C / 2.16 kg) — A low MFI characteristic of high-performance film-grade LLDPE. The 0.9 g/10 min value indicates high molecular weight, which translates directly into strong film toughness, high elongation and excellent impact resistance. It places 010F18A in the standard 1 MFI film grade category used widely across packaging, lamination and agricultural film applications in India.
• Density: 0.918 g/cm³ (ASTM D1505, 23 °C) — A low LLDPE density resulting from the butene comonomer content. This density gives 010F18A good flexibility combined with strength, and supports easy heat sealing at moderate temperatures — important for packaging films and laminate sealant layers.

Mechanical Film Properties

All values are typical, measured on 40 µm monolayer blown film at 1.8 mm die gap and 2.25 blow-up ratio, as stated in IOCL’s product technical datasheet. They are not specification limits.

• Tensile Strength at Yield – MD/TD: 13 MPa / 12 MPa (ASTM D882) — Strong yield resistance in both film directions. This ensures lamination structures and mulch films resist permanent stretch deformation when placed under load during sealing, handling or field application.
• Ultimate Tensile Strength – MD/TD: 39 MPa / 30 MPa (ASTM D882) — Very high break strength confirms that 010F18A films can withstand sudden stress concentrations — critical for laminated pouches that must not rupture during form-fill-seal production, and for mulch or cling films pulled tight across surfaces.
• Elongation at Break – MD/TD: 700% / 850% (ASTM D882) — Exceptional elongation before rupture. This is especially important for stretch cling films and mulch films, where the material is stretched significantly during application and must elongate uniformly without tearing. The high elongation also acts as a safety buffer in heavy-duty laminated packaging against puncture and impact in the distribution chain.

Impact and Tear Properties

• Dart Impact Strength: 3.5 g/µm (ASTM D1709, 38 mm dart, 66 cm height) — Strong puncture resistance per micron of film thickness. At 3.5 g/µm, 010F18A films resist sharp-object puncture well within the range needed for agricultural films exposed to soil stones and debris, and for laminated food-packaging films on high-speed filling lines.
• Tear Strength – MD/TD: 3.3 g/µm / 10.2 g/µm (ASTM D1922) — The high transverse direction tear strength (10.2 g/µm) is critical for films used in stretch cling and mulch applications, where lateral tearing forces are common. The lower machine-direction tear (3.3 g/µm) is typical for oriented LLDPE films and is balanced by the grade’s exceptional elongation and impact toughness.

Recommended Processing Window

IOCL recommends a blown film processing temperature of 170–210 °C for LLDPE 010F18A. This is the same window as for the slip grade 010F18S and comparable to OPaL F2001S guidelines, confirming standard industry practice for 0.9 MFI LLDPE film grades. Operating within this range ensures stable bubble formation, consistent film gauge and full development of the mechanical and optical properties documented in IOCL’s datasheet. Processing below 170 °C risks incomplete melting and gauge inconsistency; exceeding 210 °C can cause oxidative degradation, loss of clarity and reduced film strength.

Applications of IOCL LLDPE 010F18A

Lamination Films and Co-Extrusion Structures

LLDPE 010F18A is widely used as a functional layer in laminated and co-extruded film structures for food packaging, pharmaceutical wraps and consumer goods. In multilayer films, 010F18A is typically placed on the lamination or print surface because its non-slip, additive-free formulation provides high surface energy that promotes strong ink adhesion and durable laminate bond strength between layers. Converters use 010F18A in the outer layers of co-extruded films where surface quality, clarity and adhesion matter most, while a separate slip-grade resin like IOCL 010F18S may be used in inner or contact layers where low friction is needed for bag opening. IOCL explicitly recommends 010F18A for both lamination films and co-extrusion films in its product technical datasheet.

Stretch Cling Films

For stretch cling film — used in food wrapping, pallet wrapping and produce packaging — IOCL 010F18A provides the high elongation (700–850%) and film toughness needed to stretch uniformly over irregular shapes without tearing. Its density of 0.918 g/cm³ and moderate MFI support the blown film co-extrusion process typically used for cling films, and the absence of antiblock additives means the film’s natural cling behaviour can be optimised through formulation choices (such as PIB tackifier addition) without additive interference. The grade’s dart impact strength (3.5 g/µm) also ensures stretch cling films resist puncture from packaged goods with sharp edges or protruding corners.

Mulch Films for Agriculture

IOCL 010F18A is recommended for agricultural mulch films, which are laid over soil to retain moisture, suppress weeds and regulate soil temperature. Mulch films are subject to mechanical stress during laying by tractor-mounted equipment, UV exposure in the field and contact with sharp soil particles and plant stems. The combination of high tensile strength (39/30 MPa), very high elongation (>700%), strong tear resistance (10.2 g/µm TD) and dart impact performance (3.5 g/µm) makes 010F18A suited to withstand these stresses during both application and the growing season. Converters who need to incorporate UV stabilisers, colour masterbatch or antistatic additives into mulch films benefit from 010F18A’s additive-free base, which allows masterbatch formulations to perform without interference from pre-incorporated slip or antiblock agents.

Drip Laterals and Agricultural Irrigation Films

IOCL includes drip laterals among the recommended applications for 010F18A, and the grade can be used for film-based drip tape or certain thin-wall irrigation tube geometries produced via blown film or extrusion processes. Its non-slip surface and good mechanical properties support consistent wall gauge and adequate pressure retention in drip tape applications. However, where dedicated pipe-grade properties — particularly higher environmental stress crack resistance and long-term pressure performance — are required, IOCL’s dedicated drip lateral grade 010L22S is listed separately in IOCL’s grade slate for that purpose. The selection between 010F18A and 010L22S should be based on the specific wall thickness, pressure rating and end-use performance requirements of the irrigation system.

Comparable Alternative LLDPE Film Grades

IOCL 010F18A belongs to a well-defined group of 0.9–1.0 MFI non-slip LLDPE blown film grades available from Indian producers. These grades are regularly compared and evaluated together by film converters choosing between domestic polymer suppliers.

OPaL LLDPE F2001A from ONGC Petro Additions Ltd is the closest structural analogue to IOCL 010F18A in the Indian market. F2001A is a 0.90 MFI butene-based LLDPE blown film grade with a density of 0.920 g/cm³, formulated without slip or antiblock additives — the same non-slip positioning as IOCL 010F18A. OPaL recommends F2001A for lamination films, multilayer films and general packaging applications where a non-slip surface is needed, exactly mirroring 010F18A’s primary use cases. The density difference is minor (0.918 vs 0.920 g/cm³), and both grades are produced by leading domestic petrochemical producers with food-contact regulatory approvals. OPaL has not published documentation confirming that F2001A is interchangeable with IOCL 010F18A; equivalence is not confirmed by the manufacturer and should be validated through processing trials before production qualification.

OPaL LLDPE F2001S is the slip-grade counterpart to F2001A, with the same MFI (0.90 g/10 min) and similar density (~0.919 g/cm³) but formulated with slip and antiblock additives. F2001S is more comparable to IOCL 010F18S than to 010F18A. Understanding this distinction is important when evaluating Indian LLDPE film grades: within both IOCL and OPaL’s product lines, the “A” suffix designates the non-slip lamination grade and the “S” suffix designates the slip packaging grade — a consistent pattern that makes supplier-to-supplier grade navigation straightforward once the naming convention is understood.

Haldia Petrochemicals 71601W is a 1 MFI LLDPE blown film grade produced via Spherilene gas-phase polymerization technology, formulated without slip or antiblocking additives. It is described as having controlled morphology, excellent processability and good mechanical properties, and is used for lamination films and general-purpose packaging. Its density falls in the 0.916–0.920 g/cm³ range, placing it close to IOCL 010F18A. The key difference is production technology — Sclairtech solution polymerization (IOCL) versus Spherilene gas-phase (Haldia) — which can result in differences in molecular weight distribution and film optical properties. Haldia has not confirmed that 71601W is equivalent to IOCL 010F18A; equivalence is not confirmed by the manufacturer.

Haldia 71602W is a 2 MFI non-slip LLDPE film grade from the same producer, suitable for general-purpose packaging films. Its higher MFI makes it less comparable to IOCL 010F18A in terms of film toughness and elongation, but it is commonly offered alongside 010F18A by distributors serving the packaging film sector.

The clearest differentiator for IOCL 010F18A across this peer group is its production via Sclairtech solution polymerization, which IOCL associates with consistent molecular architecture and predictable processing, combined with IOCL’s well-established PROPEL brand presence and direct TDS documentation of food-contact and drinking-water regulatory approvals.

Regulatory Compliance, Food Contact and Safety for IOCL LLDPE 010F18A

IOCL’s product technical datasheet for LLDPE 010F18A carries explicit regulatory approvals that are important for packaging converters and their food and pharma sector customers.

The grade meets IS 10146:1982 — the Bureau of Indian Standards specification for polyethylene for safe use in contact with foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals and drinking water — and conforms to the positive list of constituents as per IS 10141:1982, which governs permitted additives in food-contact polyethylene in India. IOCL also confirms that the grade and its incorporated additives comply with FDA CFR Title 21, Section 177.1520 (Olefin Polymers) — the US FDA regulation for olefin-based polymers in food-contact articles.

These approvals make 010F18A suitable for use in food-contact lamination films, multilayer food pouches, co-extruded food packaging structures and pharmaceutical wrap films, where the regulatory status of every layer in a laminate structure must be verifiable by the packaging converter and brand owner.

Manufacturer Details – IOCL PROPEL LLDPE 010F18A

IOCL Propel LLDPE 010F18A is manufactured by Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL), India’s largest public-sector oil and petrochemicals company. IOCL’s polymer range is marketed under the PROPEL brand, with polyethylene and polypropylene grades produced at the Panipat petrochemical complex. The LLDPE/HDPE swing plant at Panipat uses Nova Chemicals’ Sclairtech solution polymerization technology, which delivers precise comonomer incorporation and narrow molecular weight distribution — the technical foundation for 010F18A’s consistent film properties across production runs.

Common Search Variants and Grade Misspellings

IOCL Propel LLDPE 010F18A is also commonly searched and referenced as: IOCL LLDPE Blown Film Non Slip 0.9 MFI 010F18A, LLDPE Film 1 MFI Non Slip IOCL 010F18A, 010F18A IOCL Linear Low Density Polyethylene Granules, IOCL LL Film 010F18A, PROPEL LLDPE 010F18A non-slip blown film granules, and IOCL 010 F18A lamination film grade 25 kg.

Frequent misspellings and alternate formats include: 010 F18A LLDPE, 010f18a IOCL non slip granules, IOCL lldpe 010-F18-A blown film, and IOCL LLDPE 0.9 MFI non-slip film grade.