PP

PP stands for polypropylene and is a semi-crystalline thermoplastic built from propene. The plastic is in the commodity plastics category.

Polypropylene is a lightweight material with low density that is at the same time very durable and hard-wearing. Because of its glass transition temperature of 0 °C, polypropylene becomes brittle at low temperatures. PP also has very poor UV resistance. Therefore this plastic is not suited to outdoor applications unless first treated with additives to improve those properties.

PP is available as homo-, block-, and random copolymer depending on polymerisation method. Homopolymers typically have higher stiffness while copolymers usually have better impact toughness and low-temperature properties. The material is commonly used as the base polymer in compounds with glass fibre or mineral fillers added for better mechanical properties and dimensional stability.

Polypropylene is used across many application areas, for example in white goods, plumbing, packaging and automotive. Some examples of PP applications are water pipes, automotive components, fans and medical or food packaging.

Polypropylene can also be manufactured from renewable raw materials and is easy to recycle, which makes it an environmentally sustainable option.

Main properties:

Some less good properties: