Polypropylene (PP) is a cost-effective material that stands out due to its excellent physical, mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties—a combination unmatched by any other thermoplastic. Compared to low or high-density polyethylene, polypropylene has lower impact resistance but higher working temperature and tensile strength.
The commonly used polypropylene homopolymer (PP-Homo) impresses with its high strength-to-weight ratio and greater stiffness compared to the copolymer. Due to its good chemical resistance and weldability, it is often used for corrosion-resistant structures.
Polypropylene copolymer (PP-Copo) is characterized by its higher impact resistance, although it is softer than polypropylene homopolymer (PP-Homo). It offers more resilience and durability than PP-Homo. Another advantage of PP-Copo is its better stress crack resistance, albeit with slightly clower temperature toughness compared to PP-Homo. These advantages come with only minimal trade-offs in other properties.