What Is a Polypropylene Sheet?
A polypropylene sheet (PP Sheet) is a sheet made of polypropylene. Polypropylene is a synthetic resin processed into sheet form. It is used for packaging, trays, industrial parts, and daily necessities such as folders, because it is inexpensive, lightweight, and has excellent strength and chemical resistance. Composed of carbon and hydrogen atoms, one of its characteristics is that it does not emit toxic gases when burned. On the other hand, it is vulnerable to direct sunlight and low temperatures, which can cause cloudiness and cracking.
Uses of PP Sheets
Polypropylene (PP), the raw material of PP sheets, is a synthetic, inexpensive, lightweight, durable, and chemical resistant resin. In addition to packaging and containers, polypropylene is also used for automobile and home appliance parts. Among these applications, there are thin PP sheets that can be colored and used for trays for food and medical applications, as well as for industrial and electronic components due to its insulating properties. PP sheets are also bonded to other materials by heat lamination, and because of their low cost, PP sheets are also sold at dollar (100 yen) stores around the world.
Characteristics of PP Sheets
Polypropylene, the raw material of PP sheets, is obtained by linking (polymerizing) a compound called propylene through a chemical reaction. It has a specific gravity of 0.90, making it one of the smallest plastics, and since it is composed only of carbon and hydrogen atoms, it does not emit toxic gases when burned. It also has excellent heat and chemical resistance.
PP sheets have excellent rigidity and strength, and also feature excellent mechanical properties such as tensile strength and impact resistance. PP sheets are also superior in transparency to polyethylene despite their similar chemical structure, and for this reason PP sheets are able to be used for transparent daily necessities such as clear files.
PP Sheet Points
PP sheets are convenient, but depending on the environment in which they are used, they may cause damage, etc. Since PP has low weather resistance, it is necessary to be careful about deterioration caused by direct sunlight and brittleness at low temperatures. In addition, since the molecular weight of PP, the raw material of PP sheets, varies depending on the manufacturing process, the mechanical properties of the same PP sheet may differ depending on the product. Therefore, it is recommended to check the product specifications before actual use.
Other adhesives for general plastic materials cannot be used to adhere to PP sheets. Therefore, adhesives specially designed for polypropylene are required for bonding work to PP sheets, including home use.