Series 1 · Resin basics
What each plastic is made from
A feedstock map from the source
PP and PE come from oil and gas, but PVC needs salt, PA needs ammonia and POM starts from methanol. Knowing which feedstock each resin is tied to tells you whether a move in an upstream market will hit the resin you buy.
Marketing Department, ADVANCEDCHEM SOLUTIONS CO., LTD. · 22 Oct 2026
The feedstock map: from source to resin
Read left to right: source → building block → intermediate → resin. Line colour shows which building block a route starts from. A resin with several lines running into it has costs tied to several markets at once.
Scroll the diagram right to see every stage
What each resin is made from
This table summarises the main industrial routes. Some resins have more than one route; we list the common route and the alternatives worth knowing.
| Resin | Monomer / main feedstock | Upstream drivers of price | Key traits | Common uses | Recycling code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PE (HDPE, LDPE, LLDPE) | ethylene (LLDPE adds butene, hexene or octene) | naphtha, or ethane from natural gas | semi-crystalline, tough, chemical resistant | bags, film, bottles, tanks, pipe | 2 (HDPE), 4 (LDPE) |
| PP | propylene (copolymers add ethylene) | naphtha, FCC, propane via PDH | semi-crystalline, light, more heat resistant than PE | caps, containers, auto parts, woven sacks | 5 |
| EVA | ethylene + vinyl acetate (from ethylene and acetic acid made from methanol) | ethylene, methanol | soft, flexible, clear | shoe soles, agricultural film, hot melt, solar cell encapsulant sheet | 7 |
| PVC | vinyl chloride from ethylene + chlorine (China also has an acetylene route from coal) | ethylene, salt and electricity cost, coal | amorphous, rigid, needs stabilizer, softened with plasticizer | pipe, cable, synthetic leather, wrap film | 3 |
| PET | PTA (from p-xylene) + MEG (from ethylene) | aromatics, ethylene | clear, strong, good gas barrier, must be dried before processing | water bottles, polyester fibre, film | 1 |
| PBT | PTA + 1,4-butanediol | aromatics, butanediol | semi-crystalline, good electrical insulation, dimensionally stable | electrical connectors, auto parts | 7 |
| PS / EPS | styrene (benzene + ethylene) · EPS adds pentane as blowing agent | benzene, ethylene | amorphous, clear, rigid, brittle (HIPS adds rubber for toughness) | clear boxes, cups, protective foam, insulation | 6 |
| ABS / SAN | acrylonitrile (propylene + ammonia) + butadiene + styrene · SAN has no butadiene | propylene, C4, benzene, ammonia | amorphous, tough, good surface finish, can be electroplated | appliance housings, auto parts, toys | 7 |
| PMMA (acrylic) | methyl methacrylate (acetone, C4 or ethylene route) | acetone (benzene + propylene), C4, methanol | very clear, weather resistant, hard surface, more brittle than PC | signs, car tail lamps, clear sheet | 7 |
| PC | bisphenol A (phenol + acetone) + phosgene or diphenyl carbonate | benzene, propylene, chlorine | clear, high impact strength, heat resistant, must be dried | clear roofing sheet, headlamp lenses, device housings | 7 |
| PA6 / PA66 (nylon) | PA6: caprolactam · PA66: adipic acid + hexamethylenediamine | benzene, ammonia, butadiene | semi-crystalline, wear and oil resistant, absorbs moisture | gears, under-hood parts, fibre | 7 |
| POM (acetal) | formaldehyde from methanol | natural gas or coal | semi-crystalline, slippery, stiff, dimensionally stable | gears, clips, zippers, mechanical parts | 7 |
| PLA | lactic acid from fermentation of starch or sugar | crops (corn, sugarcane, cassava) | clear, rigid, compostable under industrial composting conditions | cups, film, containers | 7 |
Recycling codes follow the Resin Identification Code system (ASTM D7611). Code 7 means "other", which usually has no dedicated collection stream.
If this feedstock moves, which resins are hit
| Upstream market | Resins affected | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Crude oil / naphtha | almost all, especially PE, PP, PS, ABS and PET in Asia | naphtha is the main feed for steam crackers and aromatics units in Asia |
| Natural gas / ethane | PE, PVC, PET (MEG part), EVA, POM | ethylene from ethane and methanol from gas are low cost in the US and the Middle East |
| Propane | PP and propylene-based resins: ABS, PC, PMMA | propylene from PDH uses propane directly as feed |
| Benzene | PS, EPS, ABS, PC, PA6, PA66 | styrene, phenol, caprolactam and adipic acid all start from benzene |
| p-Xylene | PET, PBT | used to make PTA |
| Butadiene (C4) | ABS, PA66 (some routes), synthetic rubber | ethane crackers yield very little butadiene; as the world uses more ethane, butadiene tends to be tight |
| Chlorine / electricity | PVC, PC (phosgene route) | chlorine is made by electrolysis of brine, with caustic soda as a co-product |
| Methanol / coal | POM, EVA, PMMA (some routes), PVC in China | formaldehyde, acetic acid and acetylene come from this route |
| Ammonia | ABS, SAN, PA6, PA66 | the nitrogen in acrylonitrile, caprolactam and diamine comes from ammonia |
| Crop prices | PLA and bioplastics | starch or sugar is the feedstock |
Putting the map to use
- Commodity resins (PE, PP, PVC, PS) are tied mainly to one building block, so their prices track naphtha, ethane or propane fairly directly. See the direction on the market update page.
- Engineering resins (ABS, PC, PA, POM, PBT) use several feedstocks and several process steps, so their prices depend on several markets at once, and often swing with production chains that have few producers.
- Switching resin to cut cost, for example ABS to a PP compound or PC to PMMA, means checking part properties and feedstock risk together. Work out the cost per good part with the Cost-in-Use Calculator.
- For an overview of refining and petrochemicals with approximate shares, see the chain from crude oil to finished part.
Note
The production routes on this page are a general industry overview. Individual producers may use different routes or feedstocks, and resin prices also depend on demand, supply, capacity and freight, not on feedstock alone.
Frequently asked questions
Why don't PP and PE prices move together?
Because they use different monomers. PE is made from ethylene, which can come from naphtha or from ethane in natural gas. PP is made from propylene, which comes from naphtha, FCC units and propane via PDH. When propane, gas and naphtha prices move by different amounts, the two resins can go separate ways.
Why is ABS usually more expensive than PS?
PS uses one monomer, styrene. ABS uses three: acrylonitrile from propylene and ammonia, butadiene from the C4 stream, and styrene from benzene. Its cost is tied to several markets, and the process is more complex because a rubber phase has to be dispersed in the plastic.
Are recycled resins tied to these feedstock prices?
Less than virgin resin, because the main costs are collection, sorting and pelletizing. They still follow virgin prices to some extent: when virgin resin gets much cheaper, demand for recycled resin usually falls.
