Polypropylene Melting Point | PP Melting Point and Properties, Advantages, and Disadvantages

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Polypropylene Melting Point and Properties, Advantages, and Disadvantages

Names and identification of Polymer
General Names	Poly(propylene), Poly(1-methylethylene)
Structure-Based Name	Poly(propene), Poly(1-methylethane-1,2-diyl)
Acronym	PP
Curly Smiles	C{-}C{n+}(C)
CAS #	9003-07-0
Repeat unit

Identification Monomers
Common Names	Propylene
CAS #	0115-07-01
Std. InChI	1S/C3H6/c1-3-2/h3H,1H2,2H3
Std. InChIKey	QQONPFPTGQHPMA-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Structure

Thermophysical properties – Experimental Data
Property	Unit	Range	Preferred
Molar Volume Vm	mL mol-1	48.1 – 49.5	48.8
Density ρ	g mL-1	0.85 – 0.88	0.86
PP Melting Point	C°	–	160
Entanglement Molecular Weight Me	g mol-1	2800 – 7100	4650
Solubility Parameter δ	MPa1/2	15.5 – 17.5	16.2
Glass Transition Temperature Tg	K	258 – 270	264
Molar Heat Capacity Cp	J (mol K)-1	88 – 90	89.5
Molar Cohesive Energy Ecoh	J mol-1	11800 – 15100	12800

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Thermophysical Properties – Calculated Data
Property	Unit	Range	Preferred
Molecular Weight of Repeat unit	g mol-1	42.08	–
Van-der-Waals Volume VvW	mL mol-1	30.84	–
Molar Volume Vm	mL mol-1	46.7 – 51.5	49.3
Density ρ	g mL-1	0.82 – 0.90	0.85
Melting Point	C°	–	160
Entanglement Molecular Weight Me	g mol-1	2050 – 5400	3200
Solubility Parameter δ	MPa1/2	15.2 – 16.0	15.7
Glass Transition Temperature Tg	K	239 – 263	261
Molar Heat Capacity Cp	J (mol K)-1	88 – 89	88.5
Molar Cohesive Energy Ecoh	J mol-1	11800 – 12700	12200

General Properties of Polypropylene

Toughness
Good chemical resistance
Translucent
Semi-rigid
Good fatigue resistance
Integral hinge property
Good heat resistance

Advantages and Disadvantages of Polypropylene

Advantages

Water resistance makes polypropylene impenetrable, making it extremely useful in industrial and medical applications.
It is inexpensive compared to other mainstream thermoplastics such as PET, Polystyrene, and LDPE.
High electric resistance is another unique benefit making it suitable for making electrical components.
Resistance to biological conditions like fungi, algae, retrogression, and bacteria.
It is recyclable, meaning it doesn’t hurt the environment much.
Good fatigue resistance. Useful in products like live hinging and shampoo bottles, meaning the products where any sort of bending is not allowed.

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Disadvantages

Susceptible to oxidation
High flammability
Below-par bonding properties
Meager resistance to chlorinated solvents and aromatics
Susceptible to UV degradation

Applications

Automotive: panels, floor trims, fender lines, trays, boxes, battery cases.

Medical: diagnostic devices, specimen bottles, pans, medical vials, Petri dishes, pill containers, etc.

Industrial: sheets, tanks, pipes, packaging, etc.

Consumer goods: luggage, toys, furniture, and packaging for veggies, fruits, and meat.

Fibers & Fabrics: tapes, strapping, staple fibers, bulk filament spun-bond, etc.

FAQs

Below are the frequently asked questions on the melting point if polypropylene. Let’s dig deep into leaning more about the topic.

1. Is polypropylene safe to breathe?

Ans. Inhalation of fine particles may cause respiratory irritation. Fume created by thermal processing can be the reason for irritation, pulmonary edema, and a possible asthma-like response. However, that will happen if you consistently inhale polypropylene particles. A random contact once in a while won’t have any negative effects on your health.

2. Does polypropylene leach chemicals?

Ans. Polypropylene doesn’t leach chemicals and is generally considered safe for humans. In fact, it is considered to be the safest of all plastics. Its excellent heat-resistant capability is the very reason it doesn’t Leach chemicals even when exposed to warm or hot water. It is also approved for use in food storage.

3. Can you microwave polypropylene?

Ans. The unique chemical structure of polypropylene makes it transparent. As it doesn’t absorb microwave energy and has a relatively high softening point, polypropylene is considered to be a suitable resin for the production of microwave food reheat containers such as bowls, dishes, and related food.

4. How strong is polypropylene?

Ans. Polypropylene is a rigid and durable material that effectively retains its strength and properties in a variety of situations and applications. In fact, polypropylene is so strong that the products made from it are considered to be four times stronger than steel.

5. How much polypropylene is recycled every year?

Ans. Talking about the United States, According to The Recycling Partnership’s 2020 State of Curbside Recycling report, more than 1.6 billion pounds of polypropylene was to be recycled in the year 2020 alone; according to estimations, there are about 17 pounds of polypropylene used by a single family household.

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Final Thoughts

That was all I wanted to say about the Polypropylene melting point/ PP Melting point. This was a short article. I wanted to keep it brief as we already have a detailed article on polypropylene on the site.

Kindly share your thoughts in the comment section.

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