Ethylene Bis Stearamide (EBS): Properties, Uses in Plastics and Regulatory Status

Ethylene bis stearamide (EBS, CAS 110-30-5) is a bis-amide wax used as an internal and external lubricant, a pigment and filler dispersant and a release agent in ABS, polystyrene, rigid PVC, polyamide, POM and polyolefin compounds. Each molecule carries two stearic C18 chains on an ethylenediamine bridge, which lifts its melting point to 135 to 146 C (275 to 294.8 F). Because EBS melts far above the primary fatty amides, it stays in the melt instead of blooming to the surface, which raises the question of when to reach for EBS rather than for a slip agent.

The regulatory position is recorded in four instruments. EBS is authorised for EU food-contact plastics as FCM substance 250 (Ref 53520) under Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 with no specific migration limit, is cleared under four FDA 21 CFR routes, is registered under REACH with 9 active dossiers and is absent from the Candidate List (status 22 September 2026). EBS is one of 437 substance profiles in our directory of plastic additives.

This page holds the data-sheet view and the compliance view together: the identity that separates EBS from stearamide, from EBO and from polyethylene wax, the two-interface lubrication mechanism, the physical constants with a named source on every row, the polymers and use levels, 6 application areas, a melting-range comparison against 13 lubricants, a dated regulatory matrix, the hazard picture from 1,846 ECHA notifications, and the producers and trade names a buyer can source.

Table T1. EBS identity card.

Footnote: identity, appearance, melting point and molecular data from PubChem CID 8044; EC number and registration data from ECHA CHEM 100.003.415; food-contact entry from Annex I of Regulation (EU) No 10/2011. Status as of 22 September 2026.

What Is Ethylene Bis Stearamide (EBS)?#

EBS is a bis-amide in which two stearic (C18) chains are joined through an ethylenediamine bridge, which gives one molecule two amide groups and a melting point roughly 30 C (54 F) above that of a single-chain fatty amide. The systematic name, N,N'-ethylenebis(stearamide), encodes both building blocks: the ethylene (ethane-1,2-diyl) bridge and the two stearoyl groups on it. PubChem records the formula as C38H76N2O2, the molecular weight as 593.0 g/mol and the class as a secondary bis-amide, also written as ethylenediamine distearamide. Which substance does the name EBS actually cover, and what makes a bis-amide different from an ordinary fatty amide?

The difference is one of count rather than of chemistry. A primary fatty amide carries one acyl chain and one free amide nitrogen; EBS carries two acyl chains and two substituted amide nitrogens, so the molecule is twice the mass, melts far higher, migrates very slowly and holds high thermal stability. That combination gives EBS four recorded functions in polymers: internal and external lubricant, pigment and filler dispersant, release agent and antiblock agent, and it is explicitly not a classic film slip additive. As an amide lubricant, EBS belongs to one of the five classes compared on the hub for processing lubricants for plastics.

What does EBS stand for, and why is it called EBS wax?#

EBS stands for ethylene bis stearamide, and the trade name EBS wax describes its physical form: a white waxy solid supplied as powder, beads or micronized grades, not a polyolefin wax. The alias amide wax carries the same meaning and separates the product from the paraffin and polyethylene waxes on the same shelf. Both names refer to CAS 110-30-5 and to the same melting range of 135 to 146 C (275 to 294.8 F), so a data sheet headed EBS wax and one headed ethylenedistearamide describe one substance.

Is EBS the same as stearamide?#

No: stearamide (CAS 124-26-5) is a primary amide with one C18 chain and a melting point of 107 to 109 C (224.6 to 228.2 F), while EBS carries two C18 chains on an ethylenediamine bridge and melts at 135 to 146 C (275 to 294.8 F), so stearamide blooms to the surface and EBS works inside the melt. The mass difference follows the chain count: 283.5 g/mol against 593.0 g/mol. PubChem records 107 to 109 C for pure stearamide and commercial grades at 98 to 105 C (208.4 to 221 F).

Behaviour follows structure. The single-chain stearamide has limited solubility in polyolefins, so after extrusion it diffuses to the surface and forms crystalline lubricating layers; EBS does not, and that difference decides which a formulator selects.

Why does the FDA call EBS N,N'-distearoylethylenediamine?#

The FDA names the same substance from the diamine side, as N,N'-distearoylethylenediamine, so a search of 21 CFR for the words ethylene bis stearamide returns nothing while four sections do clear it. The convention appears in 21 CFR 175.105 and 21 CFR 176.170, and it is why many compliance searches for EBS come back empty.

Is EBS the same as ethylene bis oleamide (EBO)?#

No: EBO carries two unsaturated oleic chains instead of two saturated stearic chains, melts at 115 to 125 C (239 to 257 F) on supplier data and migrates slowly to the surface, which is why the FDA clears it only for PVC film at a maximum of 0.055 mg per square inch while EBS is cleared as a general release agent. The two substances hold neighbouring food-contact entries in the EU, FCM 251 for EBO and FCM 250 for EBS, and neither carries a specific migration limit. Its unsaturated twin, ethylene bis oleamide, therefore carries a much narrower US clearance than the saturated bis-amide described on this page.

How Does EBS Lubricate and Disperse in a Polymer Melt?#

EBS lubricates in two places at once: at the melt-metal interface, where it forms a low-friction film between the compound and the screw, barrel and die, and at the particle interface, where it wets pigment and filler surfaces so that agglomerates break down under shear. Both effects come from the same high-melting bis-amide structure, which reduces friction and aids dispersion. Why does a molecule with two polar amide groups end up at the metal wall instead of in the polymer?

Chain length and polarity set the answer. Baerlocher's lubricant literature states the rule directly: polar groups such as hydroxyl, carboxylate ester and calcium carboxylate on C14 to C18 chains act internally, while non-polar chains above C20 act externally. EBS holds both features at once, two amide groups for polarity and a combined C36 hydrocarbon mass for non-polarity, so it partitions between the polymer phase and the metal wall rather than settling in either. Its migration is recorded as very slow and internal and its thermal stability as high, which is why it does not bloom out of a moulded part.

EBS does three jobs in one molecule, listed below.

• Lubrication at the melt-metal interface, which lowers wall friction and internal friction during plastication.
• Dispersion of pigments and fillers, by wetting the particle surface so that agglomerates break under shear.
• Release at the tool face, as an internal mould release and as a surface release in film and sheet.

Is EBS an internal or an external lubricant?#

EBS is classed as an external lubricant by Baerlocher and as an internal and external lubricant by Struktol, and both are defensible: the two long non-polar C18 chains push it towards the metal wall while the two amide groups keep it partly compatible with polar melts. Baerlocher sells it as Baerolub L-AK and lists it in the external column of its melting-range table; Struktol positions STRUKTOL TR EBS as an internal and external lubricant for rigid moulding and extrusion.

These labels are supplier classifications, not measured quantities. The same Baerlocher table calls calcium stearate at about 160 C (320 F) internal and zinc stearate at about 120 C (248 F) external, which surprises most readers. How the internal and external balance is set for a whole recipe is worked through on lubricants for PVC compounding.

What Are the Physical and Chemical Properties of EBS?#

EBS is a white waxy solid supplied as powder or beads, with a melting point of 135 to 146 C (275 to 294.8 F), a relative density of 0.97 and an acid value below 10 on the Struktol grade. The three values suppliers specify most often are the melting range, the acid value and the particle form, which change between a coarse bead, a standard powder and a micronized grade.

Table T2. Physical and chemical properties of EBS, with the source of each value.

Boiling point, solubility and FTIR data are among the most searched EBS attributes, and no primary value for them sits in our source library, so this page publishes none of the three. The three melting figures each carry their own source, because the ranges differ between PubChem, Struktol and Baerlocher by up to 6 C (10.8 F).

What is the melting point of ethylene bis stearamide?#

The melting point of ethylene bis stearamide is 135 to 146 C (275 to 294.8 F) according to PubChem, while Struktol quotes 138 to 150 C (280.4 to 302 F) for TR EBS and Baerlocher quotes a melting range of 138 to 144 C (280.4 to 291.2 F) for its PVC lubricant classification. The ranges differ because commercial EBS is made from a natural fatty-acid feedstock with a chain-length distribution, so each supplier specifies the range its own process delivers.

Which Polymers Use EBS, and at What Dosage?#

EBS is used across ABS and SAN, polystyrene, rigid PVC, polyolefins and the engineering plastics polyamide and POM, in each case as a lubricant and as a pigment and filler dispersant rather than as a surface additive. Published use levels for EBS itself are scarce: the figures below come from amide blends and from one peer-reviewed PLA study, and this page does not restate them as EBS dosages.

Lubricant recipes are written in PHR (parts per hundred resin), which converts to weight percent only with the full formulation total in hand. Every published number in the table below belongs to a blended product or to a named lubricant other than EBS.

Table T3. Polymers that use EBS, the role it plays, and what is and is not published as a use level.

Typical ranges for every additive family are collected on additive dosage levels in plastics. Two of the nine rows above carry a number, and in both cases it belongs to a blend or to a single published experiment rather than to EBS as a pure additive.

EBS in ABS, SAN and styrenics#

ABS and SAN compounds use EBS as the standard amide lubricant, usually beside a metal stearate: Struktol and Baerlocher both pair it with magnesium or calcium stearate in ABS and with zinc stearate in polystyrene, EPS and HIPS. Suppliers sell the pairing pre-blended, as Baerlocher ZINCUM PS and Struktol TR 041 for the styrenics and as Struktol TR 251 for ABS, PVC and PS at 0.5 to 2.0 % of the blend.

No EBS-specific dosage for ABS sits in our source library. The one ABS lubricant skeleton in our research file carries its own instruction to verify every number before publication, so this page prints no ABS use level. The rest of the ABS package, from antioxidants to colour masterbatch, is on additives for ABS, SAN and ASA.

EBS in rigid PVC#

Rigid PVC compounds use EBS as part of a lubricant package rather than alone: the classic Struktol pipe recipe is paraffin at 0.6 to 1.5 phr with calcium stearate at 0.6 to 1.5 phr and oxidized PE wax at 0.1 to 0.2 phr, and EBS enters where extra metal release or mould release is needed. The profile-extrusion version of the same package narrows the first two components to 0.8 to 1.2 phr each and keeps the oxidized wax at 0.1 to 0.2 phr.

Those phr figures belong to the paraffin, the calcium stearate and the oxidized polyethylene wax, not to EBS, and our source library records no rigid-PVC phr for EBS itself. It records the classification instead: Baerolub L-AK is an external PVC lubricant melting at 138 to 144 C (280.4 to 291.2 F). The full rigid-PVC recipe, stabilizer and filler included, is on additives for PVC.

EBS in polyamide and POM#

Polyamide and POM both use EBS as a melt lubricant, and in POM the clearance is explicit: 21 CFR 177.2470 and 177.2480 name N,N'-distearoylethylenediamine as the permitted lubricant for the copolymer and the homopolymer. In the homopolymer section the FDA names EBS beside polyethylene glycol 6000 as the moulding assistant.

Polyamide compounds place EBS in a wider lubricant set: montan esters, calcium stearate, magnesium stearate and specialty esters such as Struktol TR 063A at 0.2 to 2.0 %, used against die bearding and drool. The formaldehyde and acid scavengers beside the lubricant are on additives for POM (acetal).

EBS in PLA and other bio-based polyesters#

EBS also works as a nucleating agent in PLA: Gao, Alanazi and Masato (Polymers, 2024, 16, 320) found that 1 wt% EBS at a crystallization temperature of 110 C (230 F) gave the fastest crystallization of the conditions they tested, and that EBS and orotic acid both cut the crystallization half-time. That is one published result, not a supplier recommendation. EBS is one of several organic nucleating agents used in polyesters, and nucleation is one of four additive problems covered on additives for PLA (polylactic acid).

What Is EBS Used For? 6 Applications in Plastics#

EBS is used in 6 plastics application areas: pigment and filler dispersion in masterbatch, internal mould release in injection moulding, antiblock and surface release in film and sheet, lubricant packages for rigid PVC extrusion, melt lubrication in ABS and styrenics, and nucleation in PLA. The 6 areas are listed below.

• Pigment and filler dispersion in colour and filler masterbatch.
• Internal mould release in injection moulding, compounded into the resin.
• Antiblock and surface release in film and sheet, without the fast bloom of a slip agent.
• Lubricant packages for rigid PVC pipe and profile extrusion.
• Melt lubrication in ABS, SAN, polystyrene, EPS and HIPS, with a magnesium, calcium or zinc stearate.
• Nucleation in PLA, recorded in one peer-reviewed study at 1 wt%.

Pigment and filler dispersion in masterbatch#

Masterbatch producers use EBS as a dispersing aid in colour and filler concentrates, where its job is to wet the pigment or filler surface so that agglomerates break down during compounding instead of showing up as specks in the finished part. A dispersing agent works on the particle side of the melt rather than on the metal wall, and EBS does both at once. Waxes, metal soaps and amides are compared as dispersing agents for plastics and masterbatch.

Radebe and colleagues reported in 2022 that a 60 wt% calcium carbonate LLDPE masterbatch carrying 3 wt% wax plus 1 wt% zinc stearate returned melt viscosity to just above that of the neat polymer, against roughly three times higher without additives. That result belongs to a wax and a metal soap, not to EBS, and stands here as a class effect. EBS is also carried into a compound through an additive masterbatch rather than as a loose powder.

Internal mold release in injection molding#

EBS is an internal mould release agent, which means it is compounded into the resin rather than sprayed onto the tool, and it is the standard amide choice for polystyrene and ABS mouldings alongside zinc and magnesium stearate. The FDA files the chemistry under the same idea: 21 CFR 178.3860, titled "Release agents", covers saturated fatty acid amides used in polymers. EBS is one of the standard internal mold release agents, compounded into the resin instead of sprayed on the tool.

The internal route changes what a moulder controls. An external spray is applied per shot and can transfer to the part surface, while an internal release sits in the pellet and works at the same level on every shot. Internal and external routes are compared on mold release agents for injection molding.

Antiblock and surface release in film and sheet#

EBS gives antiblock and surface release in film and sheet, but it is not a slip agent: it migrates far more slowly than erucamide or oleamide, so it does not build the low coefficient of friction that a film line needs within 24 to 48 hours of production. Primary fatty amides have limited solubility in polyolefins and diffuse to the surface after extrusion, forming crystalline lubricating layers at a slip dosage of 0.05 to 0.12 wt% (500 to 1,200 ppm) in LDPE and LLDPE film, measured as coefficient of friction by ASTM D1894. Mineral and organic antiblock additives work by different mechanisms, and EBS belongs with the organic group.

Rigid PVC extrusion lubricant packages#

In rigid PVC extrusion, EBS sits in a package next to a paraffin or PE wax and a metal stearate, and the package as a whole, not any single lubricant, sets fusion time, torque and metal release. The three melting ranges in a typical package are staggered on purpose: paraffin at 54 to 56 C (129.2 to 132.8 F), polyethylene wax at 102 to 110 C (215.6 to 230 F) and EBS at 138 to 144 C (280.4 to 291.2 F), so each component becomes active at a different point in plastication.

EBS is normally paired with one of the metal stearates rather than used alone, most often calcium stearate in pipe and profile. The metal soap contributes acid scavenging that the amide cannot provide, the second reason the two travel together.

How Does EBS Perform Against Other Lubricants?#

EBS melts at 138 to 144 C (280.4 to 291.2 F) in the Baerlocher lubricant range, above every wax and ester in that table except calcium stearate at about 160 C (320 F), which is why it survives high-temperature compounding of ABS, polyamide and POM without volatilising. The consequence is a timing difference: paraffin, PE wax and zinc stearate are fully molten early in plastication, while EBS reaches its full effect later, closer to the die and the tool face.

Action matters as much as melting point. Baerlocher's performance matrix states that external lubricants give high metal release and prolong fusion time and at high dosage can cause haze, exudation and poorer printability, while internal lubricants cut inner friction, torque and melt viscosity without hurting transparency. Lubricant effects are read as a change in melt flow rate (MFR / MFI / MVR) under ISO 1133 and ASTM D1238.

Table T4. Melting range and internal or external action of the lubricants in the Baerlocher product range, in ascending melting order.

Footnote: Baerlocher classes calcium stearate as internal and zinc stearate as external; the labels are supplier classifications, not measured quantities.

The methods that quantify all of this are standardised; the values for EBS are not. Coefficient of friction is measured by ASTM D1894-24 and ISO 8295, and PVC fusion behaviour by torque rheometry of the Brabender type, commonly cited as ASTM D2538. Our source library holds no coefficient of friction, volatility, plate-out, fusion-time or torque value for EBS itself, so this page names the methods and prints no EBS performance number. Dispersion quality is measured by the methods on dispersion testing of pigments and masterbatch.

How Does EBS Interact with Other Additives?#

EBS is almost always used with a metal soap rather than alone: suppliers sell ready-made zinc-and-amide blends for polystyrene (Baerlocher ZINCUM PS, Struktol TR 041) and amide-and-metal-soap blends such as Struktol TR 251 for ABS, PVC and PS at 0.5 to 2.0 %. The three interaction pairs recorded in our sources are listed below.

• Metal stearates: zinc stearate in polystyrene, EPS and HIPS, calcium or magnesium stearate in ABS, SAN and rigid PVC, which add acid scavenging to the amide.
• Waxes: paraffin and oxidized polyethylene wax in rigid PVC packages, which cover the melting sequence below EBS.
• Montan esters in polyamide, where the two lubricants share the load between metal release and internal friction.

The metal soap zinc stearate is the usual partner for EBS in polystyrene, and suppliers sell the pair as a ready blend because the ratio is what the compounder has to get right. The upper bound on any external lubricant is a formulating limit rather than a regulatory one: Baerlocher warns that too much external lubricant causes exudation and haze, an effect that applies to the class as a whole. No measured over-lubrication threshold for EBS exists in our source library.

What Is the Regulatory Status of EBS?#

EBS is REACH registered with 9 active dossiers, is not a Substance of Very High Concern, is not restricted under REACH Annex XVII, is authorised for EU food-contact plastics as FCM substance 250 without a specific migration limit, and is cleared under four FDA 21 CFR routes (status 22 September 2026). One instrument in the matrix below remains open: the California Proposition 65 status of CAS 110-30-5 is being verified and is not stated here in either direction.

Table T5. Regulatory matrix for EBS, status 22 September 2026.

Footnote: EU 10/2011 entries were verified against the consolidated text of 16 March 2025; later amendments were not checked.

A dossier count is a market signal rather than a safety signal. What a registration dossier count does and does not tell a buyer is explained on REACH and plastic additives.

Is EBS REACH registered, and is it an SVHC?#

Yes, EBS is registered under REACH (Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006) with 9 active dossiers, and no, it is not a Substance of Very High Concern: it is absent from the Candidate List as of 22 September 2026. The registrations are Article 10 full registrations and the first dates from 2015.

Two further REACH instruments are equally empty here: EBS appears neither in Annex XIV, the authorisation list, nor in Annex XVII, the restriction list, so no sunset date and no use restriction applies. Every plastic additive currently on the SVHC Candidate List is tracked with its inclusion date, and EBS is not among them.

Is EBS approved for food-contact plastics?#

Yes in the EU: EBS is listed in Annex I of Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 as FCM substance 250 (Ref 53520) as an authorised additive with no specific migration limit, so only the overall migration limit of 10 mg/dm2 applies. The absence of an SML is a distinction inside the amide family rather than an oversight: the secondary amides oleyl palmitamide (FCM 622) and stearyl erucamide (FCM 587) each carry an SML of 5 mg/kg with the fat reduction factor applicable, while the bis-amides EBS (FCM 250) and EBO (FCM 251) carry none.

Authorisation of the substance is not authorisation of the article: a compound that uses EBS still has to meet the overall migration limit and the specific limits of every other additive in the recipe. FCM numbers, SMLs and the overall migration limit are explained on EU 10/2011.

Which FDA 21 CFR sections cover EBS?#

The FDA clears EBS through four routes: 21 CFR 178.3860 as a saturated fatty acid amide release agent, 21 CFR 175.105 in adhesives, 21 CFR 176.170 and 176.210 in paper and paperboard, and 21 CFR 177.2470 and 177.2480 as the named lubricant in POM copolymer and homopolymer. The four routes are set out below.

• 21 CFR 178.3860, titled "Release agents", which covers saturated fatty acid amides used in polymers.
• 21 CFR 175.105, adhesives, where the substance appears as N,N'-distearoylethylenediamine.
• 21 CFR 176.170 and 176.210, paper and paperboard in contact with aqueous and fatty foods.
• 21 CFR 177.2470 and 177.2480, polyoxymethylene copolymer and homopolymer, where the substance is named as the permitted lubricant.

None of this makes EBS "FDA approved", a phrase the agency does not use: each section clears a defined use under defined conditions. How the 21 CFR parts fit together is set out on FDA food contact rules for plastic additives.

Is EBS Safe? Health, Safety and Environmental Profile#

EBS has no harmonised hazard classification under the EU CLP Regulation, and 76.3 % of the 1,846 companies that notified it to ECHA report that it does not meet the GHS hazard criteria; a minority notify skin irritation (H315), serious eye irritation (H319) and respiratory irritation (H335). The three elements of the published hazard picture are listed below.

• Harmonised classification under Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008: none, so no Annex VI entry applies to EBS.
• Self-classification split: 76.3 % of 1,846 C&L notifications report not classified, a minority H315, H319 and H335.
• Environmental instruments: not listed under the EU POPs Regulation (EU) 2019/1021; listed on the US TSCA inventory and reported under the Chemical Data Reporting rule.

The minority notifications explain a document many buyers find confusing. A supplier safety data sheet for EBS powder can carry dust-handling advice even though the substance carries no harmonised classification, because the notifier assessed its own grade and particle form; the operative document for any grade is the supplier SDS.

Three claims that circulate widely are absent from our sources. No LD50 or NOAEL value and no biodegradation data for EBS sit in our source library, and its California Proposition 65 status is still being verified, so this page does not describe EBS as non-toxic, non-corrosive, food grade or vegetable derived.

What Are the Alternatives to EBS?#

The 5 substances our source library names as EBS alternatives are ethylene bis oleamide, polyethylene wax, erucamide, oleamide and zinc stearate, and they split into three groups: the bis-amide that migrates, the waxes and esters that lubricate without dispersing, and the metal soaps that lubricate and scavenge acid. Each group trades something away, so the choice follows which of the four EBS functions the compound needs.

Table T6. EBS against 5 alternative lubricants and amides.

Footnote: no melting point for erucamide is recorded in our source library; the cell stays empty rather than being estimated.

All five lubricant classes are ranked as internal and external lubricants on the family hub. The four comparisons below take the alternatives one group at a time.

EBS vs EBO (ethylene bis oleamide)#

EBS and EBO differ in one bond: EBO's two chains are unsaturated oleic chains, which lowers the melting point to 115 to 125 C (239 to 257 F) and lets the molecule migrate slowly to the surface, so EBO acts as a slow internal slip while EBS stays in the melt. Both are bis-amides, both hold a food-contact entry without an SML, and both are REACH registered with 9 active registrations, EBO's first from 2013 and EBS's from 2015.

The regulatory consequence separates them sharply. EBO is cleared in the United States only as N,N'-dioleoylethylenediamine in PVC films at a maximum of 0.055 mg per square inch, while EBS is cleared broadly across release agents, adhesives, paper and POM. A converter who needs a general-purpose release agent under 21 CFR 178.3860 therefore cannot substitute EBO for EBS without losing the clearance.

EBS vs zinc and calcium stearate#

Metal stearates do two jobs EBS cannot: they neutralise catalyst residues as acid scavengers and they carry a defined metal limit, with zinc capped at 5 mg/kg in the EU since Regulation (EU) 2020/1245, while EBS carries no metal and no specific migration limit. Zinc stearate (CAS 557-05-1, EC 209-151-9, 632.3 g/mol) melts at about 120 C (248 F) and is classed external; calcium stearate (CAS 1592-23-0, EC 216-472-8, 607.0 g/mol) melts at about 160 C (320 F) and is classed internal. Both are GRAS in the United States, zinc stearate under 21 CFR 182.8994 and calcium stearate under 184.1229.

One identity detail belongs in every specification: 21 CFR 184.1229 prints the calcium stearate CAS as 1529-23-0, a typographical error in the regulation, and the correct number is 1592-23-0. Calcium stearate also scavenges acid, which EBS cannot do, which is why the two share a rigid PVC package rather than substitute for each other.

EBS vs PE wax, montan ester and PETS#

PE wax, montan esters and PETS compete with EBS for the same slot but each is narrower: PE wax lubricates without dispersing, montan esters are the polyamide and PVC choice cleared under 21 CFR 178.3770, and PETS is capped at 0.5 wt% in food-contact polycarbonate as a mould release agent only. Polyethylene wax (CAS 9002-88-4) holds FCM 549 without an SML and melts at 102 to 110 C (215.6 to 230 F); its oxidized form (CAS 68441-17-8) holds FCM 811 with an SML of 60 mg/kg.

The commodity alternative, polyethylene wax, lubricates at the metal wall but does not disperse pigment, which is why masterbatch recipes built on a wax often add an amide rather than swap one for the other.

Montan wax esters are cleared as PVC lubricants under 21 CFR 178.3770; montan wax holds FCM 529 and montanic acids and their esters hold FCM 67. PETS (CAS 115-83-3) holds EU FCM 880 and is limited by 21 CFR 177.1580 to 0.5 wt% in food-contact polycarbonate, mould release only.

EBS vs erucamide, oleamide and stearamide#

Erucamide, oleamide and stearamide are primary amides that work by blooming to the film surface, which is the opposite of what EBS does: erucamide is dosed at 0.05 to 0.12 wt% (500 to 1,200 ppm) in LDPE and LLDPE film and reaches most of its coefficient-of-friction reduction within 24 to 48 hours, while EBS stays in the melt. Erucamide reaches its final coefficient of friction after 7 to 10 days on Ampacet's data, measured by ASTM D1894, and EBS never blooms at all.

The unsaturated primary amide oleamide (CAS 301-02-0, FCM 335, no SML) is the faster-blooming of the two unsaturated amides, and it carries one regulatory trap: it is not listed in 21 CFR 178.3860, only in 175.105 for adhesives and 178.3910 as a metal-rolling lubricant.

Even the primary amide stearamide, the slowest of the three, still migrates to the surface, which is why this site files all three under slip agents and EBS under lubricants.

Who Manufactures EBS? Trade Names, Grades and Suppliers#

EBS is made by a small group of oleochemical and additive producers: PMC Biogenix sells it as Kemamide W-40 and W-39, Struktol as STRUKTOL TR EBS and Baerlocher as Baerolub L-AK, while Croda and Lonza are also recorded as producers. PMC Biogenix belongs to PMC Group of Mount Laurel, New Jersey, and makes the Kemamide fatty amide line; Baerlocher, based in Unterschleissheim near Munich, employs 1,150 people, has been family-owned for more than 200 years and sells its lubricants under the BAEROLUB brand.

Table T7. EBS producers, trade names and what is and is not confirmed.

Buyers should ask for the grade's melting range, acid value, particle form (powder, beads or micronized) and a food-contact declaration naming FCM 250 and the relevant 21 CFR sections, because those four items differ between an EBS bead and an EBS super-fine powder under the same CAS number. No verified EBS price sits in our source library, so this page publishes none; the additives we do track are on plastic additive prices.

Who is the leading manufacturer of ethylene bis stearamide in India?#

PlasticAdditives.net does not rank suppliers, and no verified market-share data for Indian EBS production exists in our source library; what is verifiable is that Fine Organics of Mumbai has produced oleochemical slip agents, antistats and lubricants since 1971 and now lists more than 450 products sold to about 5,000 end users in over 110 countries. An EBS-specific Fine Organics grade is not confirmed in our sources, so this page names the company without attaching a product to it, and the marketplaces that dominate this query, IndiaMART, Alibaba and Made-in-China, list traders as well as producers. Verified company data for the Indian additive industry is collected on plastic additive manufacturers and suppliers in India.

How Do Bis-Amides Fit into the Wider Lubricant and Amide Families?#

EBS sits at the point where three additive families overlap: it is filed under processing lubricants on this site, it is sold by slip-agent suppliers, and it is one of the standard internal mould release agents, which is why the same product appears in three different catalogue sections. That overlap is not a labelling accident: the amide branch of the lubricant taxonomy spans lubricants, slip agents and mold release agents, because one molecule lowers friction inside the melt, lowers friction at a surface and eases demoulding.

Our own classification changed for that reason. The original topical map filed EBS under slip agents; the sourced record and the site inventory now file it under lubricants, because its dominant roles are lubricant and dispersant and because the FDA regulates it under adhesives, paper and release agents rather than as a film slip. The same suppliers sell EBS beside true slip additives for plastic film, which is the source of most of the confusion.

Bis-amides, primary amides and secondary amides#

Amide lubricants split into three structural groups, and the EU treats them differently: primary amides and bis-amides carry no specific migration limit, while the two secondary amides in Annex I, oleyl palmitamide (FCM 622) and stearyl erucamide (FCM 587), each carry an SML of 5 mg/kg. The three groups are set out below.

• Primary amides, specifically stearamide (FCM 306), erucamide (FCM 271) and oleamide (FCM 335): one acyl chain each, no specific migration limit, blooming to the surface after extrusion.
• Secondary amides, specifically oleyl palmitamide (FCM 622) and stearyl erucamide (FCM 587): an SML of 5 mg/kg each, fat reduction factor applicable.
• Bis-amides, specifically EBS (FCM 250) and EBO (FCM 251): two acyl chains on a diamine bridge, no specific migration limit.

Migration behaviour follows the same split: primary amides bloom, bis-amides do not, which is why bis-amides are formulated as melt-phase lubricants. The four amide sub-classes are set out on fatty acid amide slip agents.

Uses of EBS outside plastics#

Outside plastics, EBS is used as a pressing lubricant in powder metallurgy, which is the main non-polymer application recorded in our sources and is outside the scope of this reference. The asphalt, cosmetic and grease uses on chemical directory pages are not covered here, because this site's border is plastics.

Is EBS wax the same as PE wax?#

No: PE wax (CAS 9002-88-4) is a low-molecular-weight polyethylene that melts at 102 to 110 C (215.6 to 230 F) and is listed as FCM 549, while EBS wax is an amide with CAS 110-30-5, a melting point of 135 to 146 C (275 to 294.8 F) and its own listing as FCM 250. The word wax describes the physical form in both cases and the chemistry in neither, and the four polymer waxes used in plastics are compared on their own page.

Is EBS bio-based or biodegradable?#

Our source library records no biodegradation data and no bio-based content figure for EBS, so this page does not state either. Both claims circulate in AI summaries and supplier marketing for this substance, and neither is supported by a primary source in our records.

What is the HS code for ethylene bis stearamide?#

No HS code for ethylene bis stearamide is recorded in our source library, so this page does not publish one; customs classification for plastic additives is covered separately. Duty and tariff treatment by origin is collected under plastic additive trade.