A polyolefin elastomer (POE) is a soft, rubbery copolymer of ethylene with a small amount of octene or butene, made with a single-site metallocene catalyst. It behaves like rubber at room temperature but melts and flows like polyethylene, so it is used to toughen PP, to make light foams and footwear, in halogen-free cable compounds and in solar-panel encapsulant film.
This guide explains how POE is made, what density, melt flow and comonomer tell you about a grade, where POE material is used, how to choose a grade from the main brands, and what drives POE prices.
How POE is made
POE starts as polyethylene. During polymerisation an alpha-olefin comonomer, usually 1-octene or 1-butene, is built into the chain and leaves short side branches. The branches stop the chains from packing into crystals, so the more comonomer a grade contains, the lower its density and the softer and more elastic it becomes. Single-site metallocene and similar catalysts spread the comonomer evenly along every chain, which is what gives POE its narrow, uniform structure and clean, consistent properties.
Grades at the low-density end behave as true elastomers. Grades at the higher-density end, often called plastomers, are firmer and are used more in film and sealing layers. Propylene-based elastomers such as Vistamaxx are a related but different family, built on propylene rather than ethylene.
Octene vs butene POE
Octene leaves a longer side branch than butene. At the same density, ethylene-octene POE generally gives higher toughness, elasticity and low-temperature impact, which is why it is the usual choice for demanding PP impact modification. Ethylene-butene POE is the cost-effective option where those margins are not needed. Many brands offer both, for example Dow ENGAGE 8000 (octene) and 7000 (butene) series, or SABIC FORTIFY C (octene) and B (butene) series.
Key properties of polyolefin elastomers
| Grade property | What it tells you | Example from our grade pages |
|---|---|---|
| Density | Lower density means more comonomer: softer, more elastic, better low-temperature impact; higher density means stiffer and more heat resistant | ENGAGE 8842: 0.857 g/cm³ (very soft); FORTIFY C1085: 0.885 g/cm³ (firmest FORTIFY grade) |
| Melt flow rate (MFR, 190 °C/2.16 kg) | Low MFR gives melt strength for extrusion, foam and impact modification; high MFR flows for thin-wall injection moulding | WANSUPER 5007: 0.5 g/10 min; FORTIFY C30070D: 30 g/10 min |
| Comonomer | Octene usually gives the best toughness and elasticity; butene is the cost-effective choice | ENGAGE 8000 series (octene) vs 7000 series (butene) |
| Shore A hardness | Follows density: the softest grades are near Shore A 55, firm grades above 80 | FORTIFY C1055D: 55; WANSUPER 5018: 85 |
Beyond these grade numbers, every POE shares a saturated backbone, so it resists UV, ozone and weathering much better than diene rubbers, has low density for light parts, and is compatible with PP and PE without a compatibilizer.
POE applications
PP impact modification and automotive TPO
The largest use of POE material is as an impact modifier for PP. Fine POE particles dispersed in the PP matrix absorb impact energy, so bumpers, door panels, instrument panels and appliance housings stay tough in the cold. Low-density, low-MFR grades give the most toughness. For the PP side, see PP homopolymer vs copolymer; for the rubber side, POE vs EPDM compares POE with the traditional modifier.
Foams and footwear
Blended with EVA and cross-linked with peroxide, POE gives light, resilient foams for shoe midsoles, sports mats and packaging. It improves rebound and compression set compared with EVA alone.
Wire and cable compounds
POE is a soft, flexible base for halogen-free cable insulation and sheathing, where it carries high loadings of flame retardants such as magnesium hydroxide, and it can be silane- or peroxide-cross-linked.
Solar (PV) encapsulant film
POE encapsulant film protects solar cells with high electrical resistivity and low water-vapour transmission. Dedicated grades exist for this, such as LG Lucene LF grades and SABIC FORTIFY C5075DP.
Film, sealants and soft-touch parts
Higher-density POE and plastomers improve sealing, toughness and puncture resistance in PE film, and soft grades are moulded into soft-touch parts and blended into TPE compounds.
Grafting base for toughening agents
Grafted with maleic anhydride, POE becomes a reactive toughening agent for nylon and other engineering plastics.
How to choose a POE grade
- Start from the job. Impact modification and foam want low density and low MFR; injection moulding wants higher MFR; film and sealing want higher density.
- Pick the comonomer. Octene for maximum toughness and elasticity, butene when cost decides.
- Match density and MFR, not the brand. Grades from different producers with the same nominal density and MFR are often interchangeable after a short trial; our grade pages list similar grades from other producers.
- Check special requirements. PV film, food contact and cable standards need grades the producer lists for that use.
The POE range we supply covers eight brands:
| Brand | What the range covers | Example grades |
|---|---|---|
| Dow ENGAGE™ | Ethylene-octene (8000 series) and ethylene-butene (7000 series) | 8150, 8100, 8003, 8842, 7467 |
| SABIC FORTIFY™ | C series ethylene-octene, B series ethylene-butene | C1055D, C0570D, C5075DP, B1060T |
| ExxonMobil Exact™ / Vistamaxx™ | Exact: ethylene-based with butene, hexene or octene; Vistamaxx: propylene-based elastomers | Exact 5361, Vistamaxx 6102 |
| LG Lucene™ | Ethylene-octene or ethylene-butene; LF grades for PV encapsulant film | LC170, LF575 |
| Borealis Queo™ | Ethylene-octene | 6800LA, 7001LA |
| Mitsui TAFMER™ | Polyolefin elastomers and plastomers | DF610, DF810, A-1085S |
| SK Solumer | POE for foams, footwear, soft-touch, PV and automotive | Solumer 875L, 8730L |
| WANSUPER® | POE for impact modification, cable, foam and film | 5007, 5017, 5018 |
What affects polyolefin elastomer prices
We do not publish POE prices because they move with the market and differ by grade and volume. The main drivers are:
- Comonomer cost and supply. Octene is more expensive and tighter in supply than butene, so octene grades usually cost more.
- Demand from solar. PV encapsulant film competes for the same production capacity as compound grades, so solar demand can tighten supply.
- Grade and form. Specialty grades (PV, very low density, pellets with special additives) cost more than general impact-modifier grades.
- Freight, duties and order size. Full-container orders and regional sourcing lower the landed cost per kilogram.
For a current quotation on a specific grade, send us the grade, quantity and destination port.
POE compared with other elastomers
- POE vs EPDM: POE needs no curing and is supplied as pellets; see POE vs EPDM.
- POE vs SEBS: SEBS takes far more oil and gives softer compounds; see what is SEBS.
- POE vs EVA: EVA is polar and more filler-friendly, POE is tougher and more elastic; foams often blend the two.
Frequently asked questions
What does POE stand for in plastics?
Polyolefin elastomer: an ethylene copolymer with octene or butene that is soft and elastic but processes like a thermoplastic.
Is POE a rubber or a plastic?
It is a thermoplastic elastomer. It feels and stretches like rubber, but it is not vulcanised and can be melted, moulded and recycled like polyethylene. It can be cross-linked when the application needs it, as in foams and cable.
Is POE the same as EVA?
No. EVA is a copolymer of ethylene and vinyl acetate; POE uses octene or butene. They are often blended, especially in footwear foams.
What is the difference between POE and POP?
Both are made the same way. POE usually means the softer, lower-density elastomer grades; POP (polyolefin plastomer) means the firmer, higher-density grades used mainly in film and sealing.
Get a POE recommendation
Tell us your application, process, target hardness or impact strength and any PV, food-contact or cable standard. As a POE elastomer supplier, we will suggest grades from the brands above, list cross-references, email the TDS and arrange samples. Contact our technical team or write to info@sychemtech.com.
Related products: our POE elastomers, Dow ENGAGE, SABIC FORTIFY, toughening agents and PP resin.
