EVA grade selector: find the VA % and melt index for your product
Pick what you make, or type the VA % and melt index on your current data sheet, and see the typical EVA window for that use, the spec that matters most and a one-click line for your quote request.
Updated October 2026
Request a QuoteThe short answer
EVA is bought by two numbers: vinyl acetate (VA) content and melt index (MI, at 190°C / 374°F and 2.16 kg). Low VA grades suit film and foam, about 18–28% covers most hot melts and coating, and about 25–40% serves wire and cable compounds and sealants. Use the selector below to see the typical window for your use, then confirm on the grade's data sheet and the lot COA.
Find your EVA grade
Filter by use, or enter your VA % and melt index to see which uses your grade fits. Windows are typical published ranges from our EVA pages, not limits. Tap Quote this to add a row to the quote form.
| Use | Typical VA | Typical melt index (190°C / 374°F, 2.16 kg) | Watch for |
|---|
VA bands at a glance
| VA band | Mostly used for | Read more |
|---|---|---|
| about 2–9% | Blown and cast film, sealant layers and stretch and cling film, running much like LDPE with more toughness, clarity and cold flexibility. | Details › |
| about 9–20% | Softer, tougher film, heat-seal, stretch and cling layers, flexible molding and tubing, and some foam. | Details › |
| about 18–22% | The most common window for crosslinked footwear and padding foam, plus tubing and soft parts; foam grades as a whole run from about 4% VA up. | Details › |
| about 25–33% | Hot-melt adhesives (often 28%), encapsulant film and wire and cable compounds, with 26–28% common for HFFR bases. | Details › |
| about 32–40% | Soft, rubbery high-VA grades for HFFR cable compounds and strippable shields, tacky hot melts, sealants, wax blends, solvent adhesives and inks, and modifiers. | Details › |
| about 40% and up | Also made as EVM, a rubber specified by Mooney viscosity instead of melt index and sold through rubber channels, so it is not a drop-in for plastic-grade EVA. | Details › |
How to use the results
- Start from your current grade. The closest match is the same VA and melt index from another producer, then a trial on your line.
- Check the test condition. Very high flow grades are sometimes stated as melt viscosity or measured at another temperature, so compare like with like.
- Ask for the paperwork you need. The producer's FDA letter for food contact, and the lot COA showing VA and melt index.
- Send the RFQ line. Quote this adds the use, VA and melt index to the form, so a polymer chemist can check it before we quote.
What the selector cannot tell you
- Typical windows from published producer data; confirm on the grade's data sheet and the lot COA.
- Melt index is at 190°C / 374°F, 2.16 kg (ASTM D1238); VA is measured by FTIR (ASTM D5594) or the producer's own method. Bands overlap and are typical, not limits.
- Very high flow grades may be stated as estimates from other test conditions or only as Brookfield melt viscosity (ASTM D3236); for hot melts, compare finished-adhesive viscosity at your application temperature.
- FDA 21 CFR 177.1350 sets no VA ceiling for plain EVA copolymers; it limits chloroform-soluble extractives to 0.5 mg per square inch, and its 11% VA cap applies only to maleic anhydride-grafted EVA. Compliance is grade-specific, so ask for the producer's letter for the exact grade. Adhesives in food packaging fall under 21 CFR 175.105.
- Grade names such as 28-400 or 18-500 are a naming habit, not a standard: some producers put MI first or use codes that give neither number, so confirm both VA and MI on the data sheet.
- Most EVA runs at about 160–220°C / 320–428°F, and higher-VA grades break down at lower temperatures; overheating releases acetic acid (vinegar smell), which corrodes steel and causes gels. Use the limit on the grade sheet.
- High-VA and high-MI pellets block in warm storage and are often dusted; say on the RFQ if dusting would harm your process, and plan cool storage and first-in, first-out use.
- If a spec gives Mooney viscosity instead of melt index, it is calling for EVM rubber, not plastic-grade EVA.
- Not listed as rows: solar (PV) encapsulant film grades, which those buyers usually buy direct; medium-voltage cable compounds, which we do not supply; automotive and industrial foam, where the window is set by the foam formula and process; and high-VA EVA or EVM used as a modifier for PVC and other plastics, where the pages give no VA or MI window.
Common questions
What VA % EVA do I need for hot melt adhesives?
Most hot melts use about 18–40% VA, and 28% VA is the most common. Higher VA gives more tack and flexibility; melt index sets viscosity and open time. See hot-melt EVA.
Can I substitute an EVA with a slightly different melt index?
Often, if the use tolerates it and you trial it first. For example, an 850 MI grade can replace an 800 MI grade in many hot melts, but film and foam lines need a closer match. See 28% VA EVA.
What melt index test does EVA use?
Melt index for EVA is measured at 190°C / 374°F with a 2.16 kg load (ASTM D1238 or ISO 1133). Some very high flow grades are reported from another test or as melt viscosity.
Is EVA FDA compliant?
Many grades are made for food contact under 21 CFR 177.1350, which sets no VA limit for plain EVA but has extractives limits and conditions of use. Ask for the producer's FDA letter for the exact grade.
If your grade is not listed, tell us what you run. We source commodity, engineering and specialty resins.
Tell us the EVA you run now
A polymer chemist reviews every request, then matches your grade or finds a qualified equivalent and prices it.
What to send for an accurate quote
- The grade name, from any supplier, or a data sheet
- Color (natural, black or a custom match)
- Fill type and percentage, if any
- Melt flow, if you know it
- Quantity for this order and what you use in a year
- Ship-to city and state or province
EVA quoted by VA and melt index
Send your VA %, melt index and use, and a polymer chemist checks the match before we quote. We aim to send your quote within one to three business days.
Request a QuoteNot sure which grade fits your part?
Send the grade you run now, or describe the part. A polymer chemist reviews every request.