Materials we deal · Trading grades
Off-grade materials
Off-grade materials are polymers that fall outside the producer’s published specification but are still perfectly usable — wide-spec resin, transition material from a reactor changeover, plant purge, colour off-cuts, over-dried or under-dried pellets, and lots that failed a pellet-quality check. Off-grade is where a cost-sensitive processor finds the biggest savings, and where an inexperienced buyer finds the biggest problems. Al Qaryan Industries buys, tests and trades off-grade polyethylene, polypropylene and PVC, and we describe every lot for what it actually is.
What off-grade material is
A petrochemical plant produces to a specification, and not everything it makes lands inside that window. At the start and end of a production run, during a grade changeover, after a maintenance shutdown, or when a pelletiser drifts, the plant produces polymer that is chemically the same material but does not meet every published number. Rather than sell it as prime, the producer declares it off-grade and sells it at a discount.
That is a legitimate and long-established part of the plastic trade. The material is not waste; it is real polymer with a known deviation. The problem is that the deviation is rarely documented in detail, so the buyer has to test rather than trust. That testing is the service we provide.
The off-grade categories we handle
Off-grade is not one thing. Each category has a different cause and a different risk, and pricing follows the risk.
| Wide-spec material | One or two properties outside the published window, typically melt flow. Usually the safest off-grade category. |
|---|---|
| Reactor transition material | Produced between two grades; properties sit between the two. Needs testing before use. |
| Plant purge and lumps | Off-spec polymer from start-up and shutdown; may need regranulation. |
| Colour off-grade | Meets the mechanical specification but not the colour requirement. |
| Pellet quality off-grade | Fines, oversize or irregular pellets; processability affected rather than properties. |
| Reprocessed or repro pellets | Material that has already been through a melt history; a separate category with its own limits. |
| Baled off-grade scrap | Material recovered from a plant or converter and baled for recycling. |
Where off-grade material comes from
Producers and converters generate it. A polyolefin plant sells its own off-spec lots; a film converter sells start-up scrap, edge trim and rejected rolls; an injection moulder sells runners and rejects. Internationally, off-grade moves through specialised traders who aggregate lots from many plants, and that is the route most of our imported off-grade takes.
We buy from producers and traders in the Gulf, Southeast Asia, Japan and North America, and from converters across Pakistan. Because we also recycle, we can take a lot that is too inconsistent to sell as off-grade and process it into a controlled regrind instead — which means a seller has one route for the whole consignment rather than having to split it.
How we grade and test off-grade lots
Every off-grade lot is tested before it is offered. The tests are the practical ones: melt flow index, density, ash and filler content, colour, and a visual check on pellet quality. Where the lot is large enough we run a trial on our own equipment rather than relying on a laboratory number alone.
| Melt flow index | Measured and reported with the test condition used |
|---|---|
| Density | Measured and reported |
| Filler and ash content | Measured where mineral load is suspected |
| Colour | Assessed visually and described honestly, including whether it is streaky |
| Pellet quality | Fines and oversize assessed; regranulation offered where needed |
| Moisture | Checked for hygroscopic polymers |
| Documentation | Batch report with the measured values; the deviation from prime is stated |
| Trial | Trial quantity available before a full order |
The risks, stated plainly
Off-grade material is cheaper because it carries risk, and the risk has to be managed rather than wished away. A wide-spec lot with a melt flow outside the window may process perfectly in one machine and poorly in another. A transition lot may run differently at the start of the bag than at the end. A purge lot may contain gels or contamination that only appears after a few hours of production.
The way to manage it is to test the actual lot, to buy a trial quantity first, and to use off-grade in products where a small variation does not matter. It is a poor fit for a certified pressure pipe or a food-contact container. It is an excellent fit for a drainage pipe, a cable cover, a crate or a bin where the specification has some room.
We state the deviation on the batch report. If a lot is streaky, we say it is streaky. If the melt flow is at the top of a wide window, we say so. A buyer who is told the truth can plan; a buyer who is told what they want to hear finds out in the extruder.
How we buy and sell off-grade
We buy off-grade lots, plant purge, transition material and converter scrap from producers, traders and manufacturers, priced on the tested properties rather than on the seller’s description. Larger lots are inspected and sampled before we commit.
We sell off-grade to processors who understand their own window and can use the saving. Every lot is offered with its measured values, a trial quantity and a clear statement of what it is not suitable for. If you need a guaranteed specification, we will say so and quote prime instead.
What off-grade material is used for
Cost-sensitive products where the specification has room for movement.
- Non-pressure drainage pipe and conduit
- Cable covers, spacers and duct
- Injection-moulded crates, bins and pallets
- Garden furniture and landscaping products
- Agricultural film where clarity is not required
- Rotomoulded non-potable tanks and containers
- Compound feedstock where the formulator can compensate for the deviation
- Industrial sheeting and general fabrication
Off-grade is not offered for certified pressure pipe, food-contact packaging, medical products or any application where a customer audit requires a full producer specification.
What moves the price of off-grade materials
Off-grade pricing is the most honest pricing in the plastics trade, because nobody can hide behind a datasheet. A lot is worth what it measures. Wide-spec material with one property outside the window sells close to prime; reactor transition material sells at a wider discount; purge and lumps sell at a discount that reflects the regranulation it needs. The spread between the best and worst off-grade in a single month can be larger than the spread between prime and recycled.
The practical discipline for a buyer is to set the price against the tested value, not the seller’s description — and to insist on a trial before a full lot. The practical discipline for a seller is to test before offering, because an off-grade lot that measures better than expected is worth more than the seller assumed. Both sides lose when material is sold on adjectives.
Specifying off-grade materials: what to send us
- Grade designation and which property is out of specification — melt flow, density, colour or pellet quality
- Whether it is wide-spec, transition, purge, colour off-grade, or reprocessed material
- The measured values you have, and whether they came from a producer lab or your own test
- Quantity and packaging — bags, jumbo bags, octabins or bulk
- Whether a sample or trial quantity is available before a full lot
- Whether the material has any melt history already, since that limits how many times it can be reused
Buying off-grade materials from Al Qaryan Industries
Al Qaryan Industries buys and sells off-grade polyethylene, polypropylene and PVC, plant purge and converter scrap, and has been trading polymers in Pakistan since 2007. Off-grade sits alongside our prime and recycled ranges so a customer can choose the risk and the price that suit the application.
Buying off-grade from us: tell us the application and the properties you can accept, and we will offer the lots that fit rather than the lots we want to move. Every offer comes with the measured values and a trial quantity. WhatsApp +92 333 201 0506 for the current list.
Selling off-grade to us: send the grade designation, the quantity, the reason it is off-grade and photographs of the pellets or bales. We will test a sample and quote against what it actually measures, which is usually a fairer number than a price based on description alone.
Questions buyers and suppliers ask
Is off-grade the same as recycled?
No. Off-grade is usually virgin polymer outside its published window and has never been through a melt history beyond pelletising. Recycled material has been used, collected and reprocessed. They are different products with different limits.
How much cheaper is off-grade?
It depends entirely on the deviation. A minor colour deviation might be a few percent below prime; a heavily wide-spec purge lot can be far cheaper. The price tracks the risk, so an unusually cheap lot is worth questioning.
Can I get a trial before buying a full lot?
Yes, and we recommend it. Off-grade behaviour varies between machines, so a trial quantity is the only reliable way to know whether it suits your process.
Do you provide a certificate of analysis with off-grade?
We provide a batch report with the values we measured, and we state how the lot deviates from prime. It is not a producer certificate, and we do not present it as one.