Polypropylene (PP) is a rigid and crystalline thermoplastic used widely in everyday objects like packaging trays, household products, battery cases, medical devices, etc. Explore this comprehensive guide and learn everything you need to know about this widely used thermoplastic.
Polypropylene is a tough, rigid and crystalline thermoplastic produced from propene (or propylene) monomer. It is a linear hydrocarbon resin. The chemical formula of polypropylene is (C3H6)n. PP is among the cheapest plastics available today.
It has the lowest density among commodity plastics. Polypropylene is made from polymerization of propene monomer (an unsaturated organic compound - chemical formula C3H6).
Homopolymers and Copolymers are the two major types of polypropylene available in the market.
Polypropylene Homopolymer is the most widely utilized general-purpose grade. It contains only propylene monomer in a semi-crystalline solid form. Main applications include packaging, textiles, healthcare, pipes, automotive and electrical applications.
Polypropylene Copolymer family is further divided into random copolymers and block copolymers produced by polymerizing of propene and ethane.
Polypropylene can be processed virtually by all processing methods. The most typical processing methods include: Injection Molding, Extrusion, Blow Molding and General-Purpose Extrusion.
