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2026-09-25

Save Around 20% Per Ton — While Keeping Pipe Performance on Spec

Q: Why Polyester Wax + Polyester Homopolymer?

Comparison Conventional Microcrystalline Wax + OPE Wax Polyester Wax + Polyester Homopolymer Lubrication characteristics Mainly external lubrication Supports both internal and external lubrication needs Adjustment Mainly through total dosage Both ratio and total dosage can be adjusted PVC system matching Relies more on dosage adjustment Can be further tuned through the blend Die build-up control Influenced by wax type and dosage Can be optimized through the blend ratio Formulation flexibility Relatively limited More room for ratio adjustment In simple terms: The goal was not simply to find a cheaper wax, but to find a new lubrication balance through the combined system.

Q: What Was Ultimately Delivered?

Deliverable What It Included Customer Value Lubrication system review Analysis of the existing system and optimization opportunities Clearer direction for formulation adjustment Multiple cost calculations 3 candidate solutions and cost comparison per ton Understand the cost-saving potential before production trials Reference formulation + quotation Recommended ratio, dosage and product pricing Easier evaluation of the proposed solution Trial-by-trial sample support Samples provided according to each trial stage Less unnecessary sample use On-site technical support Analysis and adjustment during each production trial Less repeated trial-and-error Final production formulation Final formulation, processing parameters and test records A documented basis for scale-up and production The project schedule was determined according to the actual trial progress rather than a fixed timeline. The principle is simple: Every trial should have a clear objective, and every adjustment should be supported by actual test results.

A PVC Conduit Lubrication Cost Reduction Case

Rallychem Polyester Wax + Polyester Homopolymer Lubrication System

1. What Makes PVC Pipe Cost Reduction So Difficult?

Margins in the conduit business are getting tighter.

Raw material costs continue to rise, while customer pricing keeps getting more competitive. For many manufacturers, the first ideas are:

Use lower-cost raw materials, increase filler loading, or reduce certain additive levels.

But reducing PVC pipe costs is not simply about lowering the price of one raw material.

If the cost comes down but you also get:

Failed compression or bending performance
More die build-up
Unstable extrusion
More trial runs
Higher scrap and downtime costs

the savings from raw materials can quickly be offset by production losses.

So, at the beginning of this project, we set several clear targets:

Can the formulation cost be reduced by around 20%? Can compression and manual bending performance still meet GB requirements? Will die build-up increase after adjusting the lubrication system? How many production trials will be needed to validate the solution?

These were the key questions behind the project.

2. The First Step: Find Where the Formulation Can Actually Be Optimized

When a cost-reduction target is set, the first reaction is often:

Which raw material is expensive? Let’s replace it.

But formulation cost reduction is not simply about finding a cheaper material.

For a PVC conduit formulation, the cost structure can be roughly divided as follows:

Cost Item	Approx. Share of Formulation Cost*	Optimization Considerations
PVC resin	50–65%	Limited room for direct reduction; filler substitution needs to be considered
Calcium carbonate	15–25%	Relatively direct cost-saving option, but limited by compression, bending and processing performance
Heat stabilizer	5–10%	Limited reduction room; thermal stability must be maintained
Lubrication system	1–2%	Small cost share, but affects plasticization, flow and die build-up
Pigments & others	1–3%	Limited room and often tied to appearance requirements

*Illustrative industry ranges. Actual proportions vary by formulation.

Here is one point that is easy to overlook:

The lubrication system may represent only a small share of formulation cost, but it can affect how much room you have to adjust other components.

For example:

Increasing CaCO₃ requires stable plasticization and melt flow;
Adjusting stabilizer levels requires sufficient processing and thermal stability;
Increasing production efficiency requires control of die build-up and extrusion fluctuations.

So, the lubrication system may not be where you save the most money directly, but it can affect the overall cost-reduction space of the formulation.

That is why this project did not start by simply looking for a cheaper raw material. We started by reviewing the lubrication balance.

3. It Wasn’t Simply About Replacing Wax — It Was About Rebalancing the Lubrication System

In PVC extrusion, internal and external lubrication need to remain balanced.

Simply changing the total additive level can easily create new problems:

Adjustment	Possible Issue
Insufficient internal lubrication	Slow plasticization, higher torque
Excessive internal lubrication	Faster plasticization, higher melt temperature
Insufficient external lubrication	Adhesion and increased die build-up
Excessive external lubrication	Slippage, weld-line issues and reduced bending performance

For this project, we therefore adopted a:

Polyester Wax + Polyester Homopolymer Lubrication System

The objective was to re-match the lubrication balance of the existing formulation.

Why Polyester Wax + Polyester Homopolymer?

Comparison	Conventional Microcrystalline Wax + OPE Wax	Polyester Wax + Polyester Homopolymer
Lubrication characteristics	Mainly external lubrication	Supports both internal and external lubrication needs
Adjustment	Mainly through total dosage	Both ratio and total dosage can be adjusted
PVC system matching	Relies more on dosage adjustment	Can be further tuned through the blend
Die build-up control	Influenced by wax type and dosage	Can be optimized through the blend ratio
Formulation flexibility	Relatively limited	More room for ratio adjustment

In simple terms:

The goal was not simply to find a cheaper wax, but to find a new lubrication balance through the combined system.

4. Calculate First, Then Run the Machine: Reducing Trial-and-Error

Production trials usually cost much more than the samples themselves.

That is why Rallychem did not simply send samples and ask the customer to run repeated trials. We followed a structured process.

01 | Information Confirmation

We collected:

Existing formulation
Extrusion process
Equipment and tooling information
Production output
Required GB performance standards
Heavy calcium carbonate sample

02 | Formulation Design

Based on the customer’s existing system, we developed Polyester Wax + Polyester Homopolymer formulation options.

At the same time, we provided:

Multiple candidate formulations
Product pricing
Cost calculation per ton of finished formulation
Evaluation against the target cost

03 | Solution Review

We shared the reference formulations, product quotations and cost calculations with the customer.

The solution was reviewed first to confirm that it was worth moving forward before samples were tested.

04 | Sample Delivery

Once the solution was confirmed, we provided the corresponding:

Polyester Wax + Polyester Homopolymer samples.

05 | Trial by Trial

The first production trial focused on:

Extrusion flow
Die build-up
Pipe appearance
Compression performance
Manual bending performance

Based on the results, the blend ratio was adjusted and further trials were carried out in the second and third rounds.

06 | Formulation Finalization

Once the solution met the project requirements for:

cost + processing stability + pipe performance + die build-up control

the final formulation was confirmed and prepared for production.

5. What Was Ultimately Delivered?

Deliverable	What It Included	Customer Value
Lubrication system review	Analysis of the existing system and optimization opportunities	Clearer direction for formulation adjustment
Multiple cost calculations	3 candidate solutions and cost comparison per ton	Understand the cost-saving potential before production trials
Reference formulation + quotation	Recommended ratio, dosage and product pricing	Easier evaluation of the proposed solution
Trial-by-trial sample support	Samples provided according to each trial stage	Less unnecessary sample use
On-site technical support	Analysis and adjustment during each production trial	Less repeated trial-and-error
Final production formulation	Final formulation, processing parameters and test records	A documented basis for scale-up and production

The project schedule was determined according to the actual trial progress rather than a fixed timeline.

The principle is simple:

Every trial should have a clear objective, and every adjustment should be supported by actual test results.

6. Why Rallychem?

01 | From Product Selection to Formulation Optimization

We look beyond the performance of a single wax.

The key question is what happens when it is introduced into the customer’s existing formulation and how the overall lubrication system changes.

That means considering:

Existing formulation + processing conditions + performance requirements + cost target

before deciding where to optimize.

02 | Experience with Polyester Wax + Polyester Homopolymer Systems

For different PVC pipe and profile applications, the blend ratio can be adjusted according to the existing formulation, equipment and performance requirements rather than simply applying a fixed dosage.

03 | Cost and Performance Are Evaluated Together

Each production trial focuses on:

Cost | Compression | Bending | Die Build-up | Extrusion Stability

Cost reduction is not evaluated by raw material price alone. The final solution also needs to work consistently in production.

04 | One Supplier for the Complete Blend

Both the Polyester Wax and Polyester Homopolymer are supplied by Rallychem.

This reduces coordination between multiple suppliers during formulation development and project implementation.

7. Want to Know How Much Your PVC Formulation Could Save?

If you are also working on PVC pipe cost reduction, you do not need to start with a production trial.

Share your current formulation and requirements with us, and Rallychem can first evaluate the cost and potential optimization options based on your existing information.

Calculate first. Decide after.

Contact the Rallychem technical team to explore where your formulation still has room for optimization.

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