Polypropylene and polystyrene are important materials used in diverse industrial, commercial, and consumer applications. Polypropylene (PP) is a thermoplastic, consisting of long chains of propylene monomer in regular strands.
Polystyrene (PS), on the other hand, is a brittle, clear thermoplastic that responds well to molding, extrusion, and calendering (hot rolling into sheet). It is a very widely utilized plastic, generally for short-life products because of its low cost, and single-use because of its brittleness.
PP is an “addition polymer,” and it can be manufactured in various forms (showing polymorphism), with significant resulting divergence in mechanical, chemical, and thermal properties.
Polystyrene (PS) is a widely used polymer made by the polymerization of styrene, an aromatic hydrocarbon. PS is employed extensively as an expanded or foamed material, using hydrocarbons or HCFC gas, which dissolve readily in the polymer and can be pulled out of the solution suddenly, by relaxing the applied pressure. The unexpanded form is optically clear but takes opaque and translucent colorants well. It is a hard, brittle material and is a poor-quality barrier to oxygen and water vapor.
Polypropylene and polystyrene are often considered substitutes for each other, particularly the toughened forms of HIPS and ABS, so it is common to find applications that use both materials.
Listed here are the main market sectors that utilize PP and its applications:
1. Packaging (Products and Food): Liquid bottles (not caps), food containers, clear films, and heat-shrink films.
2. Automotive: Air handling for engine and AC, interior parts, liners, mud shields, electrical insulators, and lead-acid-battery trays.
3. Medical: Syringe barrels, medication containers, tubing, masks.
4. Domestic/consumer Products: Household equipment for storage and liquid handling (water tanks, buckets, septic tanks), kettle and kitchen equipment bodies and handles, toothbrushes, baby equipment, pool and pond liners, garden equipment, suitcases.
5. Chemical Industries: Pipelines and unstressed valve components for aggressive chemistries.
6. Textiles and Carpets: Self-colored and resilient fibers for textiles, carpets, woven tarpaulins, astroturf, and non-woven fabrics for safety gear.
7. Furniture: “Cast” resin garden and household furniture, decorative and low-stress cover panels in higher value furniture.
Listed here are the main market sectors that utilize PS (extruded/calendered sheet or molded items) and the applications
1. Packaging: Expanded PS is a very widely employed packaging material as: integral–hinge food containers, cut-block space fillers, and shock absorbers in boxes. HIPS is used for thicker-walled containers and bottles; yogurt pots are another common example of HIPS use.
2. Food Packaging: Oriented HIPS offers fairly good clarity, once the monomer extension is significant, making this a good material for clear lids for food packs.
3. Automotive: Rigid PS is widely used in interior fixtures and fender panels, in the high-impact and ABS forms.
4. Home Appliances: HIPS is widely employed as refrigerator and freezer liners, washing machine and dishwasher parts, kitchen equipment covers, toilet seats, etc.
5. Advertising: HIPS is used as a structural material in advertising displays and in bold-colored branding installations.
6. Flotation: Expanded PS is widely used as a flotation aid in ships/boats and water toys.
Polypropylene granules for molding, extrusion, or film/fiber manufacture typically cost around $1.30 per kg. Recycled material is generally 20 to 40% cheaper, depending on grade. Polystyrene is generally priced at around $1.05 per kg of granules, whereas HIPS costs around $1.20 per kg and ABS costs around $1.45 per kg.
Luoyang Dema Import & Export Co., Ltd. aims to provide high-quality, cost-effective products for global factories, plastic product manufacturers, and material distributors. Luoyang Dema Import & Export Co., Ltd. provides the best PP, PE, PVC, AVE, and ABS material solutions for plastic product manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, distributors, factory owners, processing workshops, etc.
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