Polymer Trading Glossary: 50 Terms Every Buyer Should Know

Polymer trading has its own language. This glossary collects the terms that appear most frequently in RFQs, contracts, and certificates of analysis. It is organised alphabetically and cross-references related terms where helpful.

A–C#

• —ABS — Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene. An engineering plastic used in automotive and appliance housings.
• —Additive — Any substance blended into polymer to modify properties: antioxidants, slip agents, UV stabilisers, colorants.
• —B/L — Bill of lading. The shipping document proving cargo was loaded onto a vessel.
• —CFR — Cost and freight. An Incoterm where the seller pays freight to the destination port but risk transfers at origin.
• —CIF — Cost, insurance, and freight. Like CFR but with minimum marine insurance included.
• —CoA — Certificate of analysis. The producer's quality declaration for a specific lot.
• —Comonomer — A secondary monomer added during polymerisation. In LLDPE: butene (C4), hexene (C6), or octene (C8).

D–H#

• —DAP — Delivered at place. An Incoterm where the seller delivers to a named destination, ready for unloading.
• —Density — Mass per unit volume, measured in g/cm³. For polyethylene: HDPE ~0.94–0.96, LLDPE ~0.91–0.94, LDPE ~0.91–0.93.
• —E-PVC — Emulsion PVC. Small-particle PVC for plastisol applications.
• —FCL — Full container load. A shipping unit, typically 20 or 40 feet, exclusively loaded with one buyer's cargo.
• —FOB — Free on board. An Incoterm where risk transfers when goods are loaded onto the vessel at origin.
• —GCC — Gulf Cooperation Council. The Middle Eastern polymer-producing region: Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman.
• —HDPE — High-density polyethylene. Stiff, chemical-resistant, used for bottles, pipe, and film.

I–M#

• —Incoterms — International Commercial Terms. The ICC-standardised clauses defining cost and risk allocation in trade.
• —K-value — PVC molecular weight indicator. Higher K = longer chains = better mechanical properties but harder processing.
• —L/C — Letter of credit. A bank-guaranteed payment instrument for international trade.
• —LDPE — Low-density polyethylene. Flexible, clear, used for film and coatings.
• —LLDPE — Linear low-density polyethylene. Flexible and strong, used for stretch film and sacks.
• —MFI / MFR — Melt flow index / melt flow rate. Grams of polymer flowing through a die in 10 minutes.
• —MT — Metric tonne. 1,000 kilograms. The standard unit for bulk polymer trade.

N–R#

• —Naphtha — A petroleum distillate used as feedstock for steam cracking in Asia and Europe.
• —PA — Polyamide (nylon). An engineering plastic used in automotive and textile applications.
• —PC — Polycarbonate. An engineering plastic with high clarity and impact resistance.
• —PP — Polypropylene. The second-largest commodity polymer. See homopolymer vs copolymer.
• —PVC — Polyvinyl chloride. The third-largest commodity polymer. See S-PVC vs E-PVC.
• —REACH — EU chemical regulation. Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation, and Restriction of Chemicals.
• —RoHS — EU electronics directive. Restriction of Hazardous Substances in electrical equipment.

S–Z#

• —SDS / MSDS — Safety data sheet / material safety data sheet. Chemical hazard and handling documentation.
• —S-PVC — Suspension PVC. Large-particle PVC for extrusion and compounding.
• —SVHC — Substance of very high concern. REACH-listed chemicals requiring disclosure above 0.1% concentration.
• —Turnaround — Scheduled maintenance shutdown of a production unit. Affects supply availability seasonally.
• —Vicat — Vicat softening temperature. The temperature at which a polymer begins to deform under load. Used for ABS and PC specs.

This glossary covers the most common terms. For deeper dives on specific topics, see the linked articles throughout. The desk speaks in abbreviations — once you know the vocabulary, the conversations make sense.