POLYPROPYLENE
HISTORY
Phillips Petroleum chemists J. Paul Hogan and
Robert L. Banks first polymerized propylene in 1951
Propylene was first polymerized to a crystalline
isotactic polymer by Giulio Natta as well as by the
German chemist Karl Rehn in March 1954.
Syndiotactic polypropylene was also first synthesized
by Natta and his coworkers.
This pioneering discovery led to large-scale
commercial production of isotactic polypropylene by
the Italian firm Montecatini from 1957 onwards.
Polypropylene is the second most important plastic
with revenues expected to exceed US$145 billion by
2019. The sales of this material are forecast to grow
at a rate of 5.8% per year until 2021.
PHYSICAL & CHEMICAL
PROPERTIES
MECHANICAL
PROPERTIES
Density = 0.895 to 0.92 g/cc
Has the lowest density among commodity
plastics
Tough and Flexible
Good resistance to Fatigue
THERMAL PROPERTIES
Its melting point varies
Perfectly isotactic PP (171 C or 340 F)
Commercial isotactic PP (160 to 166 C or 320
to 331 F)
Syndiotactic PP with a crystallinity of 30%
(130 C or 266 F)
Below 0 C, PP becomes brittle
The thermal expansion of polypropylene is very
large, but somewhat less than that of
polyethylene.
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
Translucent
It is often opaque or colored using pigments.
CHEMICAL PROPERTIES
Resistant to fats and almost all organic solvents
except strong oxidants
It can be dissolved in non-polar solvents (e.g.
xylene, tetralin and decalin)
Chemically less resistant than PE
Most commercial polypropylene
isisotactic
Level of crystallinity is between LDPE
and HDPE
Polypropylene with higher MFR will fill
the plastic mold more easily during the
injection or blow-molding production
process
It is liable to chain degradation from exposure
to heat and UV radiation such as that present
in sunlight
Can be used as an implantable mesh in human
body.
APPLICATIONS
Polypropylene is used in the manufacturing piping
systems; both ones concerned with high-purity
and ones designed for strength and rigidity (e.g.
those intended for use in potable plumbing,
hydronic heating and cooling, and reclaimed
water). This material is often chosen for its
resistance to corrosion and chemical leaching, its
resilience against most forms of physical damage,
including impact and freezing, its environmental
benefits, and its ability to be joined by heat
fusion rather than gluing.
Many plastic items for medical or laboratory use
can be made from polypropylene because it can
withstand the heat in an autoclave.
Food containers made from it will not melt in the
dishwasher, and do not melt during industrial hot
filling processes.
Polypropylene can also be made into disposable
bottles to contain liquid, powdered, or similar
consumer products, although HDPE
and polyethylene terephthalate are commonly also
used to make bottles. Plastic pails, car batteries,
wastebaskets, pharmacy prescription bottles,
cooler containers, dishes and pitchers are often
made of polypropylene or HDPE, both of which
commonly have rather similar appearance, feel,
and properties at ambient temperature.
A common application for polypropylene is as
biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP). These
BOPP sheets are used to make a wide variety of
materials including clear bags. When polypropylene
is biaxially oriented, it becomes crystal clear and
serves as an excellent packaging material for
artistic and retail products.
Polypropylene, highly colorfast, is widely used in
manufacturing carpets, rugs and mats to be used at
home.
Polypropylene is widely used in ropes, distinctive
because they are light enough to float in water. For
equal mass and construction, polypropylene rope
is similar in strength to polyester rope.
Polypropylene costs less than most other
synthetic fibers.
Polypropylene is also used as an alternative to
polyvinyl chloride (PVC) as insulation for electrical
cables for LSZH cable in low-ventilation
environments, primarily tunnels.
Polypropylene is also used as an alternative to
polyvinyl chloride (PVC) as insulation for
electrical cables for LSZH cable in low-ventilation
environments, primarily tunnels.
Polypropylene is also used in particular roofing
membranes as the waterproofing top layer of
single-ply systems as opposed to modified-bit
systems.
Polypropylene is most commonly used for plastic
moldings, wherein it is injected into a mold while
molten, forming complex shapes at relatively low
cost and high volume; examples include bottle tops,
bottles, and fittings.
Polypropylene is used in the manufacture of
loudspeaker drive units. Its use was pioneered by
engineers at the BBC and the patent rights
subsequently purchased by Mission Electronics for
use in their Mission Freedom Loudspeaker and
Mission 737 Renaissance loudspeaker
Polypropylene fibres are used as a concrete
additive to increase strength and reduce cracking
and spalling.
Polypropylene is used in polypropylene drums.
ADVANTAGES AND
DISADVANTAGES OF
POLYPROPYLENE
ADVANTAGES
It is a relatively inexpensive material
It possesses high flexural strength because of its
semi-crystalline nature
It has a low coefficient of friction It is very resistant to
moisture
It has good chemical resistance over a wide range of
bases and acids
It possesses good fatigue resistance It has good
impact strength
It has a good resistance to electricity and is thus a
good electrical insulator
It is more easily repaired from damage
DISADVANTAGES
It has a high thermal expansion coefficient which
limits its high temperature applications
It is susceptible to UV degradation It has poor
resistance to chlorinated solvents and aromatics
It is known to be difficult to paint as it has poor
bonding properties
It has a high flammability
It is susceptible to oxidation
ENVIRONMENTAL
IMPACT
Polypropylene consumes the least amount of
energy during production and produces the lowest
carbon dioxide emissions when compared to other
plastics.
Its lower density also means that switching to PP
reduces the absolute amount of waste.
It also flows more easily as it degrades, without
cross linking, gel forming or off-gassing.
Parts made from PP can be recycled multiple
times in a wide variety of applications before
incineration is necessary.
When that time comes, it is possible to recover
more energy from PP during incineration than
from any other comparable plastic.
Recycli
ng!!
