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Polypropylene
Understanding Polypropylene Plastics
The Many Uses for PP Plastics in Everyday Life
by
The
world of plastic is not a cut and dried one. There are around 45 different
types of plastic and each one has its own properties and uses, from commercial
to residential.
Polypropylene is one type of plastic that is
used for a number of different products, due to its wide variety of properties.
Understanding
the chemical
properties, history and advantages of this plastic can allow
you to see the importance that this type of plastic has on your everyday
life.
What
are the chemical properties of this plastic?
Chemical Properties of Polypropylene
Polypropylene
is located between low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and high-density
polyethylene (HDPE) on the crystallinity level.
It is
flexible and tough, especially when it is copolymerized with ethylene.
This
copolymerization allows this plastic to be used as engineering plastic that is
in a number of different products and uses.
The
flow rate is a measure of molecular weight and
this determines how easily it will flow during processing.
A
higher MFR allows the polypropylene to fill the mold more easily. As the melt
flow increases, some of the physical
properties of the plastic decreases, however, such as impact
strength.
History of Polypropylene
German
chemist, Karl Rehn, and Giulio Natta first polymerized propylene to a
crystalline isotatic polymer in March 1954.
This
discovery soon led to a commercial production of polypropylene starting in
1957.
Others
claimed the discovery, as often occurs when a general body of knowledge is
used, and this litigation was not resolved until 1989.
This
very popular plastic is one that many different manufacturers use for a number
of different products.
What Is Polypropylene Used For?
Polypropylene
is used for a wide number of different products.
Due
to the resistance to fatigue, this means that it can be used on items that are
going to have high stress, such as hinge mechanisms on water bottles and more.
It is also used in manufacturing piping systems, as well as chairs, and in
medical or laboratory use.
The colorfastness means that it is also used in carpeting, rugs, and mats.
Ropes,
cable insulation, roofing membranes, storage boxes, disposable bottles, plastic
pails and other items are also made using this type of plastic.
When
you consider the impact of this plastic on your everyday
use, you will see that it is one plastic that most people just
cannot live without.
PP plastics are also used in fiber reinforced composites. Common trade names
for FRP glass fiber reinforced polyproplyene include Polystrand and Twintex.
Polypropylene Advantages
Polypropylene
offers many different advantages. These advantages allow it to be used for a
wide variety of different products and uses, from high heat to cold weather and
more.
What
are some of these advantages?
- Low cost makes it budget friendly for a wide number
of uses
- Has a moderate
strength and stability
- Has flexibility,
which makes it easy to mold into different shapes
- Colorfast, which
means that any colors will stay bright and beautiful
- Resistant to
fatigue, which allows it to be used for things such as water bottle hinges and
spouts
- Offers good
insulation for pipes, cables, and more
- Chemically
resistant to most oils and solvents
- Excellent impact
strength
- Low coefficient of
friction
- Excellence
moisture resistance
- High temperature
resistance, which means it can be used in laboratories
When
you look at polypropylene, you can see that it has many different properties
that explain its widespread use. From clothing to pipes to carpet and more,
this type of plastic is
one that is used in a number of different products.
Understanding
its importance will allow you to appreciate it to the fullest.
Polypropylene
is one plastic that can be used for products now and can be recycled into products
for the future as well.
Todd Johnson
· Regional Sales Manager for Composites One, a
distributor of composite materials.
· B.S. in Business Management from University of
Colorado Boulder's Leeds School of Business
· Business Development Manager for Ebert Composites
Corporation
Experience
Todd Johnson is a former writer for ThoughtCo, who wrote about
plastics and composite materials for 2-1/2 years between 2010 and 2013. He is a
Regional Sales Manager at Composites One, a composite materials distributor in
San Diego, CA. Johnson provides support to the Greater San Diego manufacturers
of fiber reinforced and polymer products. He regularly attends composite
industry trade shows including JEC, ACMA, SME, and SAMPE. In 2008 he presented
at the Global Pultrusion Conference in Baltimore, MD. Previously, Todd spent
six years as the Business Development Manager for Ebert Composites
Corporation.
Education
B.S., Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services -
the University of Colorado-Boulder's Leeds School of Business; attended Griffith
University in Queensland, Australia.
Todd Johnson
ThoughtCo and Dotdash
ThoughtCo is
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Publisher of the Year by Digiday, a leading industry publication.https://www.thoughtco.com/what-are-pp-plastics-820355
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