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Polypropylene is one of the most versatile materials available today. Advanced Petrochemical’s PP are the basic building blocks used by our customers to make countless everyday products that have a positive effect on people’s lives.
Polypropylene is a downstream petrochemical product derived from the olefin monomer, propylene. The polymer is produced through a process of monomer connection called addition polymerization, normally by using the Ziegler-Natta catalyst system.
Polypropylene properties can be tailored including process conditions, copolymer components and contents, molecular weight and molecular weight distribution.
Polypropylene Properties
Isotactic polypropylene is well suited for a variety of end uses, ranging from flexible and rigid packaging to fibres and large moulded parts for automotive and consumer products.
Polypropylene is recyclable, an important consideration in many packaging and automotive applications, and it can be incinerated without toxic emissions.
It can be processed using most methods including cast, blown and BOPP film extrusion, extrusion coating, blow moulding and injection stretch blow moulding, injection moulding and thermoforming. Its physical properties can be easily enhanced through additives.
Polypropylene has excellent chemical resistance and electrical insulating properties.
Homopolymers are characterized by a high isotactic index, resulting in a high melting point and leading to excellent stiffness, superior scratch resistance, and good chemical resistance against most inorganic acids, alkalis, and salts.
In addition, homopolymers provide strong resistance to environmental stress cracking when in contact with alcohols, esters, detergents or polar hydrocarbons.
The high melting point also makes HOMO PP resins especially suitable for applications requiring temperature resistance (e.g. hot filling or steam sterilization).
HOMO PP resins are available in a wide viscosity range and therefore can be used in all processing technologies ranging from pipe extrusion to thin wall injection moulding (TWIM).
High crystalline polypropylene resins are characterized by an extremely high isotactic index. When compared to standard homopolymer resins, these resins exhibit a significantly higher stiffness and excellent chemical and heat resistance.
The increased stiffness versus standard polypropylene provides a significant down-gauging potential. High crystalline polypropylene can be converted with existing extrusion or injection moulding equipment.
Random copolymers are derived through modification of the polypropylene chain by the addition of small amounts of comonomer, resulting in modified properties when compared with HOMO PP.
Random copolymers provide significantly improved optical properties (haze and gloss), improved hot sealing characteristics, as well as improved impact performance. RACO PP resins show good chemical resistance against most inorganic acids, alkalis and salts, as well as good resistance to environmental stress cracking.
RACO PP resins are widely used as a skin layer in extrusion applications for flexible packaging and in injection moulded consumer goods due to their excellent optical properties.
Block copolymers are achieved by polymerizing a rubber component within the polypropylene matrix polymer. The resulting polymers exhibit a good level of stiffness, due to the matrix polymer, and excellent low temperature impact performance, thanks to the rubber component.
Block copolymers can serve applications from frozen conditions to use in microwave ovens. Due to the exceptional high impact performance, HECO resins are used in demanding applications such as automotive bumpers, pails and crates, and sewage pipe systems.
Block copolymers are available in a broad range of viscosities and can be converted with all major technologies, ranging from pipe extrusion, blown film, to injection moulding or TWIM.