EAA, EMAA, ionomer, EMA, EBA and EEA resin: acid copolymers, ionomers and acrylate copolymers by grade

Which ethylene copolymer does what

All six families are made in high-pressure reactors like LDPE and EVA. What changes is the comonomer. An acid comonomer (acrylic or methacrylic acid) gives chemical adhesion to polar surfaces. Neutralizing part of that acid with a metal ion gives an ionomer. An acrylate ester (methyl, butyl or ethyl acrylate) gives softness and polarity without acid. Every melt index on this page is at 190°C / 374°F and 2.16 kg (ASTM D1238 or ISO 1133) unless we say otherwise.

Typical windows drawn from published producer data sheets. They are not limits. The data sheet and COA for the grade you run are what count.

EAA and EMAA: acid content and melt index

The acid groups do the work. They form strong bonds with metal oxide surfaces such as aluminum foil and steel, and with paper and glass. As acid content rises, adhesion, clarity, hot tack and grease resistance go up, and the melting point goes down. So does thermal stability, and the resin gets more corrosive to bare steel. Melt index follows the process: blown film grades sit low, extrusion coating grades higher for draw-down, and dispersion grades very high.

Two traps on the RFQ. First, a brand name does not always tell you the acid: the Nucrel family is mostly EMAA, but it also includes EAA grades such as Nucrel 30707. Second, some very high melt index values are not measured at 190°C / 374°F. One 20.5% acrylic acid dispersion grade lists 300 g/10 min at 190°C / 374°F as a value correlated from a test at 125°C / 257°F, where it reads 14 g/10 min. Compare melt index only at the same condition, and ask how the number was obtained.

Values from producer data sheets and product pages, and distributor listings of those sheets, shown so the acid and melt index pattern is easy to see. They are typical values, not specifications. We name grades only so you can recognize them; the names belong to their owners, and we source by spec.

Ionomers: sodium vs. zinc

An ionomer starts as an EMAA acid copolymer. Part of the acid is neutralized with a metal ion, and the ionic clusters act like reversible crosslinks: strong and stiff at room temperature, melt-processable when hot. The result is a tough, clear, grease-resistant resin with a broad seal window. The ion changes the balance, and so do the acid level and how much of it is neutralized, so compare grades, not only ions.

General comparison from producer literature and a polymer handbook. Melt index at 190°C / 374°F and 2.16 kg. Grades within each ion vary widely, so run seals and bonds on your own line.

• Seal through contamination. Ionomer sealants seal through grease, meat juice, powder and other product in the seal area. That is why they are used in processed meat, cheese, snack, powder and stick packs.
• Meat adhesion and skin packaging. Ionomers bond to meat protein, thermoform well, and shrink back tightly, which suits vacuum skin packaging and forming webs.
• Foil, glass and ceramics. Some grades bond straight to foil in pouches, laminated tubes and composite cans; others are sold for sealing onto glass and ceramic cups.
• Golf ball covers. Many two-piece balls use ionomer covers for cut resistance and resilience, often blends of sodium and zinc grades. Higher-acid ionomers (above about 16% acid in the patent literature) give a harder, faster cover; softer covers add other materials. Cover blends are proprietary, so send the grade names on your formula.
• Molded parts. Clear, scuff-resistant thick-wall parts such as fragrance bottle caps, and impact modification of nylon. For anhydride-grafted nylon tougheners, see maleic anhydride grafted polyolefins.

EMA, EBA and EEA: how they differ from EVA

Acrylate copolymers do many of the same jobs as EVA: softness, polarity, adhesion, filler acceptance and cold toughness. The main difference is heat. EVA gives off acetic acid when overheated, which smells, corrodes steel and causes gels, so our EVA page puts most EVA at about 160–220°C / 320–428°F. EMA and EBA do not release acetic acid. One EMA producer sheet allows processing up to about 300°C / 572°F, which is why EMA can run in extrusion coating and in blends with polyesters and nylon that need high melt temperatures.

• EMA (methyl acrylate). Soft and polar, with good thermal stability. Used in extrusion coating and lamination, sealant and tie layers, cable compounds, compound carriers and polyester modification. One published 20% methyl acrylate grade lists a brittleness temperature below -73°C / -100°F.
• EBA (butyl acrylate). The butyl group gives the lowest glass transition of the three, so EBA stays flexible in the cold. Used for impact modification of polyesters, nylon and PP, in filled cable compounds and foams, and high-flow grades in hot melts.
• EEA (ethyl acrylate). A long-standing carrier for additive and color concentrates and a tie layer between polyolefins and polar substrates. Its FDA section caps ethyl acrylate at 8% unless blended down.
• Acid copolymers and ionomers are different. EMA, EBA and EEA have no acid, so they do not give the chemical bond to foil and metal that EAA and EMAA give. For foil, pick an acid copolymer or ionomer; for EVOH and nylon, pick an anhydride tie resin.
• Reading grade names. Some producers code the content into the name. On the Lotryl grades we checked, the first digits are the acrylate percent, MA or BA is the acrylate, and the last digits are about the melt index (29MA03: 29% methyl acrylate, about 3 g/10 min). On the Elvaloy AC grades we checked, the last two digits match the acrylate percent (AC 1224: 24% methyl acrylate; AC 3427: 27% butyl acrylate; AC 2116: 16% ethyl acrylate). Confirm on the data sheet before you rely on a name.
• Hot melts. High-flow EBA and EMA are used in hot melts where EVA odor or heat stability is a problem. See hot melt EVA and adhesives and sealants.

Where each one is used

Typical structures only. Your converter, brand owner or formula sets the actual layers and grades.

FDA sections: what each one covers

• EAA: 21 CFR 177.1310. Covers EAA with up to 10% acrylic acid under paragraph (a)(1), with a limit of 0.5 mg per square inch of net acidified chloroform-soluble extractives under the test conditions for the food type and use. EAA with more than 10% and up to 25% acrylic acid, under (a)(2), is allowed only in food-contact layers no thicker than 2.5 mil (0.0025 inch) and only for listed food types and conditions of use. That is why a 9.7% grade sheet cites (a)(1) and a 20.5% grade cites (a)(2). EAA used in a food-packaging adhesive falls under 21 CFR 175.105 instead.
• Ionomers and EMAA: 21 CFR 177.1330. Covers ethylene methacrylic acid copolymers with up to 20% methacrylic acid and their ammonium, calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium and zinc partial salts, plus EMAA-vinyl acetate and EMAA-isobutyl acrylate terpolymers and some of their salts. So one section covers both the acid copolymer and the ionomer. The basic limit is 0.5 mg per square inch of net acidified chloroform-soluble extractives.
• EMA: 21 CFR 177.1340. Covers EMA with up to 25% methyl acrylate, with a 0.5 mg per square inch extractives limit. A higher-acrylate grade, such as one near 29%, is outside this section, so ask what its letter relies on. EMA in a food-packaging adhesive falls under 21 CFR 175.105.
• EEA: 21 CFR 177.1320. Caps ethyl acrylate at 8% by weight unless the EEA is blended with polyethylene or olefin copolymers, or used in a coating, so that the blend stays at or under 8%. It also sets xylene and hexane extractables limits and excludes articles used for packaging or holding food during cooking.
• EBA. We did not find a section of 21 CFR 177 for EBA. Producers that sell food-contact EBA grades state the basis in their letter, which may be a food contact notification (FCN) or an adhesive use under 175.105.
• What to ask for. The producer’s letter for the exact grade, with its conditions of use. Concentrates and other layers need their own letters, and the finished package is the converter’s responsibility. See what FDA compliance means and resin compliance documents.

Processing: corrosion, purging and coating temperatures

• Corrosion. Acid copolymer data sheets from two producers say the extruder and die should be made of corrosion-resistant metals, with dies and adapters in stainless steel or duplex chrome or nickel plating. Higher-acid grades are the most aggressive. If your line has bare steel in the melt path, tell us before a trial.
• Start and stop on LDPE. A common practice on coating and film lines is to bring the line up on LDPE, switch to the acid copolymer, and purge back to LDPE or a cleaning compound before shutdown, so acid copolymer does not sit hot in the machine. One EMA producer sheet also asks you to purge after every run. Follow the purge steps on the sheet for your grade.
• Coating temperature. A 9.7% acrylic acid, 20 g/10 min coating grade lists a melt temperature of 220–260°C / 428–500°F. LDPE coating often runs about 300–330°C / 572–626°F, because LDPE bonds to foil only when the melt is well oxidized. Acid copolymers bond through their acid groups, so they can bond to foil at lower melt temperatures, with less odor.
• Acrylate copolymers. EMA and EBA run on standard polyolefin equipment and tolerate more heat than EVA; one EMA sheet allows up to about 300°C / 572°F. Use the limit on the sheet for your grade.
• Slip and antiblock. Many acid copolymer coating grades carry no slip or antiblock. Slip migrates to the surface and can weaken adhesion to foil and print, so match the additive package when you replace a grade.
• Moisture. Ionomers pick up more moisture than polyethylene, sodium grades most. Keep bags and gaylord liners closed, and follow the drying advice on the sheet if the material has been open.

Producer families, supply and price drivers

Few plants make these resins, and ownership has changed hands several times. The table shows the current owners we could confirm as of October 2026. We name them only so you can recognize them on a formula sheet; the names belong to their owners. We source by spec through our supply partners, case by case, and do not imply we sell any brand. Some grades are sold mainly through producers’ appointed distributors; if we can’t source a grade, we tell you.

Ownership checked against producer, distributor and SK annual report pages, and SK Functional Polymer’s product pages, in October 2026. Confirm the producer on the current data sheet.

• We do not post prices. Every quote is for a specific grade, quantity, package and ship-to city. See how resin is priced and the resin market notes.
• What moves price. Ethylene and the comonomer (acrylic acid, methacrylic acid or the acrylate ester), the small number of producers, and campaign scheduling. These resins sell at a premium to LDPE because of the comonomer, the small number of plants and small campaign volumes.
• Campaigns and allocation. Specific acid levels, melt indexes and additive packages are made in campaigns on shared high-pressure lines, so a grade may wait for the next run. Some grades are made in one plant worldwide, so qualify a second grade before you need it. See qualifying a second source.
• Packaging. Sealant and tie layers, trials and compounding often take gaylords (about 1,000–1,600 lb) or 55 lb (25 kg) bags, about 40–55 per pallet. High-volume coating lines may take bulk truck (about 40,000–50,000 lb).

What to put on the RFQ

• Family and comonomer. EAA or EMAA; for ionomers, the ion (sodium or zinc); for acrylates, methyl, butyl or ethyl acrylate.
• Comonomer content in weight percent, with the tolerance you accept and the producer’s method.
• Melt index at 190°C / 374°F and 2.16 kg, nominal and range, and whether the value is measured or correlated from another condition.
• Process and layer. Blown or cast film, extrusion coating, lamination, molding, powder or dispersion, and which layer of the structure.
• What it must bond to or seal through. Foil, board, metal, glass, PE, nylon or EVOH; grease, meat, powder or liquid in the seal area.
• Additive package. Slip, antiblock, antioxidant, or none.
• Food contact. The producer’s FDA letter for the exact grade and the section it cites, plus your food types and temperatures.
• Your equipment. Whether the melt path is corrosion-resistant, and your purge practice.
• Quantity and package. This order, yearly use, and bags, gaylords or bulk. Send your ship-to city.
• COA values to check. Melt index and comonomer content on every lot, and the ion for ionomers. See the RFQ package page.

Common questions

If your grade is not listed, tell us what you run. We source commodity, engineering and specialty resins.