Polypropylene raw material PPH-HP 500N

Polypropylene (PP) is a rigid and crystalline thermoplastic used widely in everyday objects like packaging trays, household products, battery cases, medical devices, etc. Explore this comprehensive guide and learn everything you need to know about this widely used thermoplastic.

Polypropylene is a tough, rigid and crystalline thermoplastic produced from propene (or propylene) monomer. It is a linear hydrocarbon resin. The chemical formula of polypropylene is (C3H6)n. PP is among the cheapest plastics available today.

Polypropylene homopolymers are thermoplastic resins produced through the polymerization of propylene with Ziegler-Natta catalysts. The homopolymers can be used in different processing technologies, such as injection molding, blow molding, film, fiber, sheet extrusion and thermoforming.

PP belongs to polyolefin family of polymers and is one of the top three widely used polymers today. Polypropylene has applications both as a plastic and a fiber in:

• Automotive Industry 

• Industrial Applications

• Consumer Goods, and

• Furniture Market

It has the lowest density among commodity plastics.

These days, polypropylene is made from polymerization of propene monomer (an unsaturated organic compound - chemical formula C3H6) by:

• Ziegler-Natta polymerization or

• Metallocene catalysis polymerization

Structure of PP Monomer C3H6

Ziegler-Natta Polymerization Or Metallocene Catalysis

Structure of Polypropylene (C3H6)n

Upon polymerization, PP can form three basic chain structures depending on the position of the methyl groups:

Atactic (aPP) - Irregular methyl group (CH3) arrangement

Isotactic (iPP) – Methyl groups (CH3) arranged on one side of the carbon chain

Syndiotactic (sPP) - Alternating methyl group (CH3) arrangement