PP - Polypropylene

Polypropylene is the polymer with the largest growth rate in the world, due to its exceptional properties and versatility of application. Polypropylene is a semicrystalline thermoplastic, produced by polymerizing process of propylene monomer using a stereospecific catalyst forming long chains. Among numerous properties of this material may be highlighted the following:

• The density of polypropylene is about 0.905 g/cm³, one of the lowest among all plastic materials commercially available. This allows to obtain parts with low weight.
• Provides high rigidity, superior to most commercial plastics.
• Good impact resistance at environment temperature for all types of polypropylene.
• Excellent transparency.
• High flexibility resistance.
• High surface hardness.
• High chemical resistance and it is not attacked by the great majority of chemicals at environment temperature.
• Very low water absorption.
• Low permeability to water vapor.
• Very low electrical conductivity.

There are three main types of PP: homopolymers, random copolymers and heterophasic copolymers.

Each type has specific applications and may be modified and adapted to different uses by the techniques of formulation.