Ask an Admin: Your Top Questions About Arkema Products & Printing Materials Answered

Your Arkema Questions, Answered (From Someone Who Buys This Stuff)

When I first started managing purchases for our manufacturing team back in 2021, I assumed that picking a material supplier was just about who had the lowest price per kilo. A couple of rejected batches and one very expensive reprint later, I realized that understanding the specifics of a product catalog—like what makes Arkema's EVA different from the generic stuff—is actually the most cost-effective thing you can do.

So, I’ve compiled the questions I get most often from engineers and designers. These are the real-world answers I’ve landed on after processing hundreds of orders across roughly 15 vendors annually.

1. What exactly is in the Arkema product catalog? Is it just basic chemicals?

Not at all. When I first looked at their catalog, I assumed it was just bulk raw materials. I was wrong. The catalog is heavily focused on specialty resins and high-performance polymers.

You’ll find product lines like:

• Acrylic resins (for coatings and adhesives)
• Polyamide resins (for hot melts and printing inks)
• Fluoropolymers (for high-heat or non-stick applications)
• EVA (Ethylene Vinyl Acetate) copolymers for flexible packaging and solar panels

It’s less a general chemical distributor and more a source for solving specific material challenges. If you need a resin that bonds to a difficult substrate or survives UV exposure for a decade, that’s where they come in.

2. What is Arkema EVA, and why should I specify it over a generic EVA?

This was a “mindshift” moment for me. I used to think EVA was EVA. Technically, the chemistry is the same, but the specifications vary wildly.

Arkema’s EVA (often sold under brand names like Evatane) is typically engineered for tighter melt flow index (MFI) control and better thermal stability. For a generic EVA, the MFI might swing by +/- 20%. For Arkema’s, that tolerance is much tighter.

Why does that matter? In a high-speed lamination line or an injection molding process, inconsistent material flow means rejects. If you are producing solar encapsulant film, a variance in MFI can literally ruin a production run worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. You pay a premium for Arkema EVA because you are buying process reliability, not just a chemical.

3. Is Phenolic Resin used in printing? I thought it was just for countertops.

You’re right that it’s the classic material for countertops and circuit boards, but it’s also a workhorse in industrial printing and coatings.

In my experience, phenolic resin is often used as a binder in:

• Friction materials (brake pads) – not printing
• High-performance industrial coatings – think tank linings or pipe coatings that need chemical resistance.
• Printing inks for packaging – specifically for overprint varnishes that need to be tough and heat-resistant.

It’s not a “paper print” resin. It’s a resin for when the printed item needs to survive extreme conditions. If you’re printing labels for engine parts, that might be the chemistry you need.

4. For PE coating on packaging, do I need Arkema’s product, or will any polyethylene work?

This depends on what the package has to do. If you just need a moisture barrier on a basic cardboard box, any standard LDPE coating will probably work fine.

But—“probably” is a dangerous word in procurement. I learned this the hard way. We switched to a cheaper PE coating for a food carton, and the heat seal wasn't strong enough. We had a 15% failure rate on the packaging line.

Arkema’s specialty PE coatings (usually functionalized or modified) are designed for adhesion to difficult substrates like aluminum foil or for specific seal strength requirements. If you need the coating to bond chemically to something non-porous, the standard off-the-shelf stuff will delaminate. So, for standard applications? No. For mission-critical adhesion? Yes, the cost is justified.

5. Is PP plastic BPA free? I’m getting pushed on this by compliance.

Yes. This is one of the few things I can say with 100% certainty. Polypropylene (PP) does not contain Bisphenol A (BPA).

The confusion comes from Polycarbonate (PC) plastics, which often do contain BPA. PP is a completely different polymer. It is inherently BPA-free and is widely considered one of the safer plastics for food contact.

If your compliance team is worried, you don't need a special “BPA-free” grade of PP from Arkema or anyone else. Standard PP meets that requirement. However, if you need high-clarity PP (like for a medical device), you do need to specify a clarified grade. Arkema’s catalog has those, but the “BPA-free” attribute is standard across the board.

6. What’s one thing about Arkema that is hard to find in the catalog?

Honestly? The application testing data. The catalog will tell you the technical specs, but finding the real-world test data (weatherability of a coating after 5 years, wear resistance of a resin at 150°C) usually requires talking to a technical rep.

I’ve found that the catalog is a great starting point, but the real value is in the technical support that comes with the materials. If you’re trying to solve a specific problem—like a coating that needs to survive salt spray for 1,000 hours—the catalog won’t always have a “Shelf S-7, Aisle 3” answer. You have to ask.

Don’t get me wrong—the catalog is well-organized. But for advanced applications, the knowledge of the sales engineer is more valuable than the PDF.