Polypropylene powder is a really cool polymer. It can be used to make a very wide ranging style pf products. You may never have heard of polypropylene, but there's no doubt that you encounter or use a product that is made from it nearly every single day of your life! That is, provided you live a modern existence and not in the wilderness of course!
For instance, check out this Tic Tacs box - it is made from a polypropylene polymer.
Most people are probably familiar with this sort of plastic case. But what you may not know is that under the flap is an identifaction code for the type of resin used to make the plastic polymer.
Many other plastic products can be made from polypropylene powder. For instance, many products needed for use in a lab or other medical location are made with polypropylene because it can handle the heat from an autoclave. (An autoclave is a specialized sterlization area that cleans things at with very hot, high pressure steam). Because of it's high heat resistance, many food containers are made from it because they won't melt in the dishwasher. Some polypropylene are subjected to an extra treatment of polyethylene or polystyrene for extra heat resistance.
Plastic bucks, pails, car batteries, waste bins, bottles for pharmacy prescriptions, pitchers, dishes - all of these are made using some form of plastic polypropylene powder polymer (say that 10 times fast!).
It can be used for plastic moldings: it can be injected into a mold at high temperatures and create complex shapes at a relatively low cost. For instance plastic bottles and caps.
Polypropylene is really good for products that exist in sheet forms, such as packaging, storage bins, folders, etc. Think of the plastic pockets used to trading card collecting. Other uses include shower caps, raincoats, plastic folders, all sorts of bottles, especially spray bottles, even ribbons. Comic book collectors will surely be familiar with the plastic polypropylene used to hold a comic book. Same goes for coins, stamps, photo albums, CD/DVD slipcases, etc.
Polypropylene (PP) is certainly one of the world's most well-used and versatile polymers. PP has the lowest density among popular commodity plastics. Plus it can be used in so many different ways including injection molding, extrusion and more.
Polypropylene powder is used in three distinct product families. These include the homopolymer, the random copolymer and the impact copolymer.
We hope this has been an informative look at something that may not at first blush be useful. Polymers don't have to be a boring or unapproachable topic! In any case let us know if you have questions or would like to see posts about specific things.
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