Polypropylene is the trade name of polypropylene fiber. It is a fiber made from propylene as a raw material through polymerization and melt spinning. Polypropylene officially began its industrial production in 1957 and is a rising star in synthetic fibers. Because polypropylene has the advantages of simple production process, low cost, high strength, and relatively light density, polypropylene has developed rapidly. At present, polypropylene is the fourth largest variety of synthetic fibers.
Polypropylene production includes short fibers, filaments, and split fibers. Polypropylene membrane fibers are made by first forming polypropylene into a film and then stretching the film to split it into a fibril network. Polypropylene is widely used in the manufacture of industrial fabrics, non-woven fabrics and so on. Such as carpets, industrial filter cloth, ropes, fishing nets, building reinforcements, oil-absorbing blankets, and decorative fabrics. In civil use, polypropylene can be used for pure spinning or blended with wool, cotton, or viscose to make a variety of fabrics. In addition, polypropylene film fibers can be used as packaging materials.
The main physical and chemical properties of polypropylene
1. Morphology The vertical surface of polypropylene is flat and smooth with a circular section.
2. Density The biggest advantage of polypropylene is its light texture. Its density of only 0.91g/cm3 is the lightest density among common chemical fibers, so polypropylene with the same weight can get higher coverage than other fibers.
3. Strong stretch Polypropylene has high strength, large elongation, high initial modulus, and excellent elasticity. Therefore, polypropylene wear resistance is good. In addition, the wet strength of polypropylene is basically equal to dry strength, so it is an ideal material for making fishing nets and cables.
4. Hygroscopicity and dyeability Polypropylene's hygroscopicity is very small, almost no hygroscopicity, and the moisture regain is close to zero under normal atmospheric conditions. However, it has a wicking effect and can transmit water vapor through the capillary in the fabric, but does not exert any absorption by itself. Polypropylene has poor dyeability and incomplete chromatogram, but it can be used to make up for deficiencies.
5. Acid and Alkali Resistance Polypropylene has good chemical resistance. In addition to concentrated nitric acid and strong caustic soda, polypropylene has good acid and alkali resistance, so it is suitable for use as a filter material and packaging material.
6. Lightfastness, etc. Polypropylene has poor light resistance, poor thermal stability, aging, and resistance to ironing. However, anti-aging properties can be improved by adding anti-aging agents during spinning. In addition, polypropylene has good electrical insulation, but static electricity is easily generated during processing.