Slip Agents for Polyethylene Film: 5 Types, Dosage and Selection

Slip agents for polyethylene film are fatty acid amides, mainly erucamide and oleamide, added at 0.05-0.12 wt% (500-1,200 ppm) that migrate to the film surface after extrusion and lower its coefficient of friction (COF) against itself and against metal. The choice between a fast-blooming and a slow-blooming amide decides how quickly the film runs smoothly, so which slip agent suits which PE film?

Slip agents are one of the few groups of plastic additives that must leave the polymer to work: they act only once they reach the surface. Erucamide and oleamide carry almost all of this duty in LDPE and LLDPE film, but three other amide classes and a non-migrating silicone option cover the applications where those two fall short, from HDPE film to extrusion coating.

This page covers why PE film sticks without a slip agent, the 5 types of slip agent used in PE film, why the bis-amide EBS is not one of them, erucamide versus oleamide, which amide suits each film application, how much slip agent PE film needs, how slip interacts with antiblock, corona treatment and antistats, how the slip of PE film is tested, which amides are allowed in food-contact PE film in the EU and US, and who supplies them.

Key figures

• 0.05-0.12 wt% (500-1,200 ppm): typical erucamide or oleamide level in LDPE/LLDPE film
• 24-48 hours to most of the COF reduction, 7-10 days to the final COF
• 5 slip-agent types used in polyethylene film
• FCM No 271, no specific migration limit, for erucamide under EU Regulation (EU) No 10/2011

Why Does Polyethylene Film Need Slip Agents?#

Polyethylene film needs slip agents because its untreated surface grips itself and the metal parts of converting lines, so rolls wind poorly, bags are hard to open and film does not run smoothly over forming collars. A high coefficient of friction and blocking both slow down winding, converting and bag opening, and the same untreated surface is responsible for both problems. The hub on slip additives for plastic film covers the same amides in PP, BOPP and other films.

What causes high friction and blocking in polyethylene film?#

High friction and blocking in PE film come from the same source: smooth PE surfaces make close contact, and van der Waals forces between their amorphous regions hold adjacent layers together. Blocking is the unwanted adhesion of film layers during winding or storage, driven by van der Waals forces between amorphous regions at the surface and by low-molecular-weight species that migrate there on their own. The glossary entry on blocking gives the definition used across the site.

Coefficient of friction is a separate but related measurement: COF is the friction force divided by the normal force, read as a static value at the onset of motion and a kinetic value during steady sliding. A film can have low blocking and still run poorly on machinery if its kinetic COF stays high, which is why converters track both properties rather than either one alone.

How do slip agents lower the COF of polyethylene film?#

Slip agents lower the COF of polyethylene film by blooming: the amide dissolves in the melt, becomes supersaturated as the film cools, diffuses to the surface and forms a thin crystalline layer that the film slides on. Primary fatty amides have limited solubility in polyolefins, so once the film cools the polymer holds more amide than it can keep in solution. Ramírez, Walters and Hirt (Hirt group, Clemson University), Journal of Vinyl and Additive Technology, 2005, "Relationship between erucamide surface concentration and coefficient of friction of LLDPE film," and Ramírez, Hirt and Wright, Nano Letters, 2001, used atomic force microscopy to track this surface concentration as it built up on LLDPE film.

The bloom runs in 4 steps.

1. Dissolution of the amide in the polyethylene melt during extrusion, at a concentration above its solubility limit once the film cools
2. Supersaturation as the film cools below the melt temperature, leaving more amide dissolved than the cooled polymer can hold
3. Diffusion of the excess amide molecules from the bulk of the film toward the surface, driven by the concentration gradient
4. Surface layer formation, as the amide crystallises at the surface into a thin, lubricating (bi)layer that lowers film-to-film and film-to-metal COF

Why does slip take days to work in PE film?#

Slip takes days to work because the amide must diffuse to the surface first: erucamide gives most of its COF reduction within 24-48 hours, and the final COF is reached after 7-10 days. Shorter-chain amides such as oleamide diffuse faster and bloom sooner than longer-chain erucamide, and ASTM D1894 itself notes that slip additives keep blooming after extrusion, so COF results depend on how long the film has aged before it is tested. The kinetics are covered in detail under slip agent migration and COF development.

What Are the 5 Types of Slip Agents for Polyethylene Film?#

The 5 types of slip agents used in polyethylene film are unsaturated primary amides (erucamide, oleamide), saturated primary amides (stearamide, behenamide), secondary amides (stearyl erucamide, oleyl palmitamide), branched C14-C18 alkanamides and non-migrating silicone or particulate slip. They are ordered here from the class that carries almost all standard LDPE and LLDPE film volume to the class used only in specific, higher-value applications.

Four of the 5 types are fatty acid amide slip agents that differ in chain length, saturation and substitution; the fifth type, non-migrating slip, works by a different mechanism entirely.

1. Unsaturated primary amides: erucamide and oleamide#

Erucamide and oleamide are unsaturated primary fatty acid amides (C22:1 and C18:1) and the standard slip agents for LDPE and LLDPE film: oleamide blooms fast, erucamide blooms slowly and resists heat better. Erucamide is (Z)-docos-13-enamide, CAS 112-84-5, EC 204-009-2, formula C22H43NO, molar mass 337.6 g/mol, with a melting point of 75-80 °C (PubChem) and thermal stability to about 240 °C (supplier data); its single cis double bond at C13 and its longer C22 chain give it slower bloom than oleamide. Identity, grades and regulatory data sit on the erucamide substance page.

Oleamide is (Z)-octadec-9-enamide, CAS 301-02-0, EC 206-103-9, formula C18H35NO, molar mass 281.5 g/mol, with a melting point of 76 °C in the pure compound and 68-76 °C in commercial grades. Its shorter C18 chain diffuses faster than erucamide's C22 chain, giving faster bloom, lower thermal stability and a lower typical cost, which is why oleamide is the more common choice where the film must slip within hours of extrusion.

2. Saturated primary amides: stearamide and behenamide#

Stearamide and behenamide are saturated primary amides (C18:0 and C22:0) that melt above 105 °C and bloom slowly, so in PE they act more as antiblock and release agents than as low-COF slip. Stearamide, CAS 124-26-5, melts at 107-109 °C and crystallises at the surface, giving antiblock and mould-release performance rather than the fast COF drop that erucamide or oleamide provide. Behenamide, CAS 3061-75-4, melts at 110-113 °C and is the slowest-blooming primary amide with the highest thermal stability of the group.

Dulal et al. 2017 (RMIT University, CSIRO and Coca-Cola Amatil) measured surface amide concentrations on HDPE closures and found that 1.7 µg/cm2 of behenamide reduced application torque as much as 15.7 µg/cm2 of erucamide; those data are for HDPE closures, not film, and are cited here only as evidence of behenamide's efficiency at low surface loading. Stearamide is covered with its release uses on its own substance page.

3. Secondary amides: stearyl erucamide and oleyl palmitamide#

Secondary amides such as stearyl erucamide and oleyl palmitamide carry an alkyl group on the nitrogen, which lowers their volatility and slows their migration, so they suit PE extrusion coating and cast film run at high melt temperatures. N-substitution removes one N-H bond, lowering hydrogen bonding and volatility and producing a controlled, slower migration than the primary amides show. Stearyl erucamide, CAS 10094-45-8, formula C40H79NO, molar mass 590.1 g/mol, melts at 72-78 °C and is thermally stable above 300 °C (supplier data). The secondary amide with the highest heat stability is stearyl erucamide, profiled with its migration data on its own page.

Oleyl palmitamide, CAS 16260-09-6, molar mass 505.9 g/mol, is used alongside stearyl erucamide in extrusion coating and cast film. Both carry an EU specific migration limit of 5 mg/kg (FCM No 587 and FCM No 622 respectively), reflecting their higher molecular weight and lower volatility compared with erucamide and oleamide.

4. Branched C14-C18 alkanamides#

Branched C14-C18 alkanamides are a newer saturated amide mixture authorised in the EU only for polyolefins (FCM No 1065), with an intended use level of 0.2 wt% in films. This mixture of branched and linear C14-C18 alkanamides, CAS 85711-28-0, carries a specific migration limit of 5 mg/kg and is not assigned to food simulant D2. The EFSA CEF Panel (2017, amended 2021) set intended use levels of 0.2 wt% in films, 0.5 wt% in closures, 0.9 wt% in compression-moulded parts and 1.0 wt% in injection-moulded parts. No trade name or supplier for FCM 1065 is established in our source library used for this page, so none is named here.

5. Non-migrating slip: silicone and particulate slip#

Non-migrating slip agents, such as ultra-high-molecular-weight silicone masterbatch and spherical silicone resin beads, lower the COF of PE film from the start and do not bloom, so corona treatment, printing and lamination are not disturbed. A cast-film review indexed as PMC9920539 documents this bloom-free behaviour for BOPP, and the same principle carries over to PE film that needs slip without the multi-day bloom delay of an amide.

Three forms of non-migrating slip appear in PE film formulations.

• UHMW PDMS masterbatch, an ultra-high-molecular-weight polydimethylsiloxane carrier that Tosaf markets for PE stretch hood specifically because it is unaffected by corona treatment or lamination
• Siloxane-grafted polyolefins, in which the silicone is bonded to a polyolefin backbone rather than dispersed as a free liquid
• Spherical silicone resin beads, such as Momentive's Tospearl line, with a refractive index of 1.42, specific gravity 1.32, particle sizes from 1.8 to 10.5 µm and stability to 400 °C

Masterbatch forms are compared under silicone slip additives. No PE-specific dosage for silicone slip is established in our source library used for this page.

The PDMS in these systems carries EU FCM No 575, restricted to grades with a molecular weight above 6,800 Da and a viscosity of at least 100 cSt at 25 °C. The polydimethylsiloxane (silicone oil) substance page carries the D4/D5/D6 impurity rule: mixtures containing 0.1 % or more of these cyclosiloxane impurities are banned from 6 June 2026 under REACH Annex XVII entry 70, as amended by Regulation (EU) 2024/1328.

Why Are EBS and Other Bis-Amides Not Used as Slip Agents in PE Film?#

EBS is not used as a slip agent in polyethylene film because this high-melting bis-amide (135-146 °C) stays at melt-metal and filler interfaces as a lubricant and dispersant instead of blooming into a low-friction film surface. N,N'-ethylenebis(stearamide) (EBS), CAS 110-30-5, is a lubricant, dispersant and release agent, not a classic film slip agent, because its higher melting point keeps it working at processing interfaces rather than migrating to the finished film surface the way erucamide or oleamide does.

Its close relative EBO (ethylene bis oleamide, CAS 110-31-6) is cleared under 21 CFR 178.3860 only for use in PVC film, at a maximum of 0.055 mg per square inch, and is not a PE film slip agent either. Its lubricant uses are covered on ethylene bis stearamide (EBS), which sets out where EBS does the work that erucamide and oleamide do in film.

Erucamide vs Oleamide in Polyethylene Film: Which Works Better?#

Erucamide works better in polyethylene film that is wound into rolls, printed or processed hot, because it blooms slowly and tolerates higher melt temperatures, while oleamide suits bags and liners that need low COF within hours. Both amides are used at the same 0.05-0.12 wt% (500-1,200 ppm) range in LDPE and LLDPE film, so the choice between them is a question of bloom speed, heat resistance and regulatory status rather than dosage.

The fast-blooming alternative, oleamide, is profiled with its migration data on its own substance page. Erucamide is never described on this site as FDA-cleared as a polymer slip agent under 21 CFR 178.3860, because that clearance applies to erucamide, not to oleamide.

All three amides, erucamide, oleamide and behenamide, are compared across polymers in erucamide vs oleamide vs behenamide, which extends this comparison beyond PE film into PP and other polyolefins.

Which Slip Agent Is Best for Each Polyethylene Film Application?#

The best slip agent for polyethylene film depends on how fast the film must slip, how hot it is processed and whether it is printed or laminated: oleamide for fast-slip bags, erucamide for roll stock and printed film, secondary amides for extrusion coating. The master selection table below sets out amide, level and reasoning for every PE film application covered on this page.

Supplier guideline ranges; trials decide the final level, and COF is read 7-10 days after extrusion.

Request quotes for erucamide, oleamide or slip masterbatch for PE film: grade or CAS, volume, film type, country, through the plastic additive supplier finder.

The full film stack, beyond slip alone, is on additives for packaging film, which sets each amide inside the wider antiblock, antioxidant and antistatic package that PE film normally carries.

LDPE and LLDPE blown film for bags and liners#

LDPE and LLDPE blown film for bags and liners typically uses oleamide or erucamide at 0.05-0.12 wt% (500-1,200 ppm), with oleamide chosen when the film must slip within hours of extrusion. Struktol's technical data give oleamide use at about 0.05 % in films, rising above 0.5 % when the same amide is used as a mould-release agent rather than a film slip. Erucamide serves the same dosage range when a slower, more heat-stable bloom is preferred over oleamide's speed.

Roll stock for automatic packaging lines#

Roll stock for automatic packaging lines uses slow-blooming erucamide, because a film that becomes slippery on the winder telescopes, while a gradual COF drop over 7-10 days keeps the roll stable. An early, fast COF drop is a liability on a winder rather than an advantage, since it lets the wound roll shift and telescope before it reaches the customer. Ampacet's guidance places a workable target COF for polyolefin film at about 0.2, though that figure is a supplier statement rather than a sourced-verified standard, so it is given here only as a general benchmark.

Coextruded and multilayer PE film#

In coextruded PE film the slip agent does not stay in the layer it was added to: Sankhe and Hirt (Clemson University, 2003) found that erucamide added to one LLDPE layer spread almost evenly across a 50 µm coextrusion. Using synchrotron FT-IR, Sankhe and Hirt planned erucamide at 1 wt% in a single LLDPE layer and found it migrated into an adjacent polyolefin plastomer (POP) layer until the concentration profile across the whole 50 µm film became nearly uniform. Formulators of multilayer PE film can expect the same redistribution to occur across their own layer structures, which is why a "sink" layer or laminating adhesive can quietly absorb slip agent intended for the outer surface.

HDPE film#

HDPE film uses the more heat-stable amides, erucamide and behenamide, because HDPE is processed hotter and its higher crystallinity leaves less amorphous volume for the amide to travel through. HDPE has a density of about 0.961 g/cm3, well above LDPE's, and its greater crystallinity is the reason formulators favour behenamide alongside erucamide over oleamide for this resin.

Cast film and extrusion coating at high melt temperature#

Cast PE film and extrusion coating use secondary amides such as stearyl erucamide or oleyl palmitamide, because primary amides like oleamide volatilise at the high melt temperatures of these processes. Stearyl erucamide's thermal stability above 300 °C and its lower volatility, a direct result of the N-substitution that removes one N-H bond, let it survive the higher melt temperatures these processes use without the losses that a primary amide such as oleamide would show under the same conditions.

BOPE and mono-material PE laminates#

Biaxially oriented PE (BOPE) for all-PE laminates uses both migrating and non-migrating slip, supplied as dedicated masterbatches such as Ampacet's BIAX4CE range. BOPE is increasingly used to replace BOPP, BOPA and BOPET in all-PE laminates because a mono-material structure improves the quality of PE recyclate, even though BOPE itself has lower stiffness, gloss and barrier performance than BOPP and higher seal strength and puncture resistance. Masterbatches for BOPE bundle antiblock, antistatic, antifog and slip together with a white base, reflecting how many functions a single BOPE skin layer has to carry at once.

How Much Slip Agent Does Polyethylene Film Need?#

Polyethylene film needs 0.05-0.12 wt% (500-1,200 ppm) of erucamide or oleamide, with the exact level set by film thickness, the COF target, the time available before converting and any printing or sealing step. For comparison, slip agents across all plastic products span a much wider 0.1-3 wt% range (Hahladakis et al. 2018, cited via Chea et al. 2025), which shows how narrow the PE film level is next to the family's full range.

Four drivers set the exact level within that range.

• Film thickness, since thicker film needs a lower percentage to reach the same surface concentration and COF target than thinner film does
• COF target and its timing, because a target that must be met sooner after extrusion pushes the formulation toward a faster-blooming, and usually higher-loaded, amide
• Downstream corona treatment, printing and sealing, since excess slip on the surface works against every one of these steps
• Antiblock type and level, because synthetic silica adsorbs part of the amide and slows its migration, which the slip level has to allow for

Branched C14-C18 alkanamides are the one class with an EU-defined intended use level rather than a supplier range, at 0.2 wt% in film under FCM No 1065.

Adding slip as additive masterbatch: a let-down example#

Converters usually add slip agents to PE film as additive masterbatch in an LDPE or EVA carrier, and the amide level in the film equals the masterbatch concentration times the let-down ratio. Additive masterbatch is the standard way to introduce erucamide or oleamide into a PE film line, since it is easier and safer to dose than neat amide powder.

A worked example shows the arithmetic: a masterbatch with 5 wt% erucamide let down at 2 % gives 0.10 wt% (1,000 ppm) erucamide in the film (0.05 × 2 % = 0.10 %). This is a calculation example, not a specific supplier product, and it uses a round masterbatch concentration purely to illustrate the arithmetic rather than to state a typical commercial grade. Check the arithmetic for other let-down ratios and masterbatch concentrations in the let-down ratio calculator.

How Do Slip Agents Interact with Other Additives and Processes in PE Film?#

Slip agents in polyethylene film interact with 5 things in the film and on the line: antiblock particles, antistatic agents, processing aids, corona treatment and laminating adhesives. The table below sets out the practical consequence of each interaction and what a formulator does about it.

Synergy and antagonism across all additive families are mapped under additive interactions, including the antiblock and antistat competition summarised here.

Slip and antiblock additives in PE film#

Slip and antiblock additives work as a pair in PE film: the amide lowers friction at the surface while antiblock particles such as silica, diatomaceous earth or talc roughen it, but silica also adsorbs part of the amide and slows its bloom. Antiblock works by surface micro-roughness that lowers contact area and van der Waals adhesion, using diatomaceous earth or talc at 2,500-10,000 ppm, calcium carbonate at 2,500-20,000 ppm, or high-pore-volume silica at 1,000-1,500 ppm in 35 µm LDPE and PP films (Van Essche, Kromminga and Schmidt, 2000). Silica, diatomaceous earth, talc and nepheline syenite are compared on antiblock additives.

The two additives are not purely complementary: erucamide combined with silica antiblock has been shown to lower COF further than either used alone in polypropylene film, an interaction formulators should test deliberately rather than assume when moving a PE film formulation to a new antiblock supplier.

Corona treatment, printing, sealing and lamination#

Excess slip agent on the surface of PE film makes corona treatment difficult and weakens print adhesion and heat seals, so printed and laminated film runs at the lowest amide level that meets its COF target. No dyne-level or seal-strength number for this effect is established in our source library used for this page, so none is quoted here. Non-migrating slip such as the Tosaf stretch-hood masterbatch avoids the problem entirely, because it does not bloom to the surface the way erucamide or oleamide does, and is therefore unaffected by corona treatment or lamination.

Slip agents, antistatic agents and processing aids#

Slip agents and migrating antistatic agents compete for the same film surface, and fluoropolymer processing aids interact with the antiblock that usually accompanies slip, so all three must be balanced in one PE film formulation. Glycerol monostearate and ethoxylated amines are the main migrating antistatic agents for plastics used in PE, and because they migrate by the same surface-diffusion route as slip agents, raising one level can slow the other's bloom.

Fluoropolymer processing aids interact with antiblock in blown film, and a combined masterbatch containing both can lower antiblock efficiency. Fluoropolymer PPAs count as polymeric PFAS under the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (Reg. (EU) 2025/40), whose food-contact packaging PFAS limits, 25 ppb for any targeted PFAS, 250 ppb for the sum, and 50 mg/kg total PFAS, apply from 12 August 2026. Alternatives after the PPWR PFAS limits are listed under PFAS-free processing aids.

How Is the Slip of Polyethylene Film Tested?#

The slip of polyethylene film is tested by measuring static and kinetic COF to ASTM D1894 or ISO 8295, checked for blocking to ASTM D3354, and traced back to the amide content by liquid chromatography to ASTM D6953. Each of these 4 standards covers a different property, and a complete slip specification for PE film normally references all of them together.

Coefficient of friction: ASTM D1894 and ISO 8295#

The coefficient of friction of PE film is measured to ASTM D1894-24 or ISO 8295 by pulling a weighted sled over the film, and because slip agents keep blooming, the report must state how many days after extrusion the film was tested. ASTM D1894-24 covers static and kinetic COF using either a moving sled or a moving plane, which give equivalent values, with an optional heated plane; the standard sled weighs 200 g, measures 63.5 mm square, and moves at 150 mm/min. ISO 8295 covers the same dynamic COF measurement under a parallel method. Sled, speed and conditioning are detailed under coefficient of friction and blocking of plastic film.

A complete COF report states 3 things.

• Static and kinetic COF values, reported separately since they can diverge
• Days after extrusion, because a slip additive that is still blooming gives a different reading each day
• Test surface pairing, film-to-film or film-to-metal, since the two give different results on the same film

Blocking: ASTM D3354#

Blocking of PE film is measured to ASTM D3354-21 as the load needed to separate 100 cm2 of film layers, up to a maximum of 200 g. The method is a parallel-plate test, similar to ISO 11502 Method B, that reports the force in grams required to pull two conditioned layers of film apart over that fixed area.

Slip agent content: ASTM D6953#

The erucamide content of polyethylene is measured to ASTM D6953-18 by solvent extraction and liquid chromatography, with isopropanol for PE below 0.94 g/cm3 and cyclohexane above it. The method extracts the amide from the film with the appropriate solvent, chosen by the resin's density, and quantifies it by LC-UV against an external calibration curve. ASTM D6042-23 is the equivalent method for polypropylene.

Haze and surface appearance#

Slip bloom adds to the haze of PE film, together with antiblock and plate-out, so clear film grades are checked for haze to ASTM D1003 alongside COF. ASTM D1003-21 covers both Procedure A, using a hazemeter, and Procedure B, using a spectrophotometer, and either can be paired with a COF reading to track how a film's slip and antiblock package affects its optical clarity. Procedure A and B are compared under haze and clarity measurement.

Which Slip Agents Are Allowed in Food-Contact Polyethylene Film?#

Food-contact PE film in the EU may use erucamide, oleamide, stearamide and behenamide under Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 without a specific migration limit, while in the US erucamide and the saturated amides are cleared under 21 CFR 178.3860 but oleamide is not. The word "approved" is never used for either system; substances are "authorised" or "listed" under the EU regulation and "cleared" under 21 CFR 178.3860. Other food-contact film additives beyond slip agents are listed under additives for food packaging.

EU 10/2011: FCM numbers and SMLs for slip agents#

The EU Union list authorises the common PE slip agents with no specific migration limit (erucamide FCM No 271, oleamide No 335, stearamide No 306, behenamide No 458), while the secondary amides and the branched alkanamides carry an SML of 5 mg/kg.

No FDA numeric limit applies under 178.3860; use is limited to good manufacturing practice.

Where no specific SML is set, the EU's generic overall migration limit of 10 mg/dm2 and generic SML of 60 mg/kg still apply. EU 10/2011 explains the SML, OML and functional-barrier rules behind the table above in full.

All specific migration limits (SML) for PE film slip agents, and every other plastic additive on this site, are tabulated in one place for quick lookup.

FDA: 21 CFR 178.3860 and 21 CFR 177.1520#

In the US, slip agents in food-contact PE film are cleared as release agents under 21 CFR 178.3860, which lists erucamide, oleyl palmitamide, stearyl erucamide and saturated fatty acid amides such as stearamide and behenamide, but not oleamide. This regulation sets no numeric migration limit; use is governed by good manufacturing practice instead. EBO is the one exception cleared under 178.3860, but only for PVC film and only up to 0.055 mg per square inch, not for polyethylene. How the different 21 CFR sections fit together, including 21 CFR 177.1520, which covers polyethylene itself (density 0.85-1.00 g/cm3, n-hexane extractables of 5.5 % or less at 50 °C and xylene solubles of 11.3 % or less at 25 °C), is explained under FDA food contact rules.

REACH, CLP and migration testing#

None of the fatty amide slip agents used in PE film is a REACH substance of very high concern or restricted under Annex XIV or XVII (checked 22 September 2026), and most CLP notifiers do not classify erucamide, stearamide or behenamide as hazardous. About one third of notifiers classify erucamide with H315, H319 or H335, while most oleamide notifiers do not classify it either, though roughly 40 % apply H413; stearamide, behenamide and oleyl palmitamide are not classified at all. Simulants and conditions for confirming these substances stay within their migration limits are covered under migration testing of plastics for food contact.

Who Supplies Slip Agents for Polyethylene Film?#

Slip agents for polyethylene film come from oleochemical producers such as Nouryon (Armoslip), PMC Biogenix (Kemamide) and Fine Organics, and as ready-to-use slip masterbatch from masterbatchers such as Ampacet and Tosaf. Fine Organics, based in Mumbai, supplies slip, antistatic and lubricant amides, and Baoxu Chemical and PCC (Chemstat, oleyl palmitamide) are named as further producers in our source library. Crodamide is also an established trade name for erucamide and oleamide, though its current line owner is not established in our source library and is left unstated here.

Trade-name equivalence reflects the same base chemistry; it is not a performance-equivalence claim.

Buyers should compare grades by CAS number, amide purity and food-contact status, not by trade name, since the same substance can carry different food-contact listings depending on the grade and country of manufacture. Plants and grades by company are in the directory of slip agent and erucamide suppliers.

Request quotes for erucamide, oleamide or slip masterbatch for PE film: grade or CAS, volume, film type, country, through the plastic additive supplier finder.

What Other Additives Does Polyethylene Film Need?#

Polyethylene film needs slip agents as one part of a larger film package that also contains antiblock, antioxidants, a processing aid and, depending on the use, antistatic or antifog agents. Slip typically sits at 0.05-0.12 wt%, antiblock at 2,500-10,000 ppm (diatomaceous earth or talc) or 2,500-20,000 ppm (calcium carbonate), alongside a processing aid and, where the film needs it, an antistat or antifog agent. The full PE package is on additives for polyethylene, covering every additive class this page references alongside slip.

Antioxidants for polyethylene film#

Every PE film grade carries a phenolic antioxidant and a phosphite to survive extrusion, and the same package also protects erucamide from oxidising into odour-forming aldehydes. This processing-stabiliser pair sits underneath the slip and antiblock package on every PE film line, and an inadequate antioxidant package leaves erucamide exposed to oxidative chain scission into aldehydes, a known source of odour and taste problems in closures. Grades and dosage are on antioxidants for polyethylene.

Slip agents for polypropylene and BOPP compared#

Polypropylene and BOPP film rely on erucamide more than PE film does, because PP is processed hotter, and they combine it with fine silica or silicone beads in thin skin layers. PP-specific levels, typically studied across a 500-5,000 ppm range, are on slip agents for polypropylene and BOPP, which also covers how fine silica, PMMA or silicone beads are used in BOPP skin layers.

Slip agents for HDPE caps and closures#

HDPE caps and closures use slip agents to lower application and removal torque, and behenamide needs about one ninth of the surface amount of erucamide to do so (1.7 vs 15.7 µg/cm2, Dulal et al. 2017). Torque data are covered under slip agents for caps and closures, which extends the film-focused dosage guidance on this page into moulded closures.

Why is the COF of my PE film still high after a week?#

A PE film whose COF stays high after 7 days usually loses its slip agent to something else: silica antiblock that adsorbs the amide, an adjacent layer or adhesive that absorbs it, or an antistat that competes for the surface. Thicker gauge and an underdosed masterbatch let-down are the two other common causes, both of which are checked before assuming the amide itself has failed.

Can slip agents be used in recycled PE film?#

Yes: slip additives also work in recycled PE, and a 2025 study in Materials showed that polydimethylsiloxane lowered the dynamic COF of film made from LLDPE recyclate. The full formulation approach for additives for recycled plastics covers how slip and the rest of the PE package are restored in recyclate that has already lost part of its original additive load.

Is erucamide safe in food packaging?#

Erucamide is authorised for food-contact plastics in the EU (FCM No 271, no specific migration limit) and cleared in the US under 21 CFR 178.3860, and most CLP notifiers do not classify it as hazardous. No REACH restriction or SVHC listing applies to erucamide as of the 22 September 2026 check used for this page.

What is the difference between slip and antiblock?#

Slip agents lower the friction of the film surface, while antiblock additives stop film layers from sticking together by roughening the surface; PE film normally contains both. The two work through opposite surface mechanisms, one smoothing and one roughening, which is why they are formulated together rather than as substitutes for each other.

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