Polypropylene composite is a plastic material that is produced by combining polypropylene (PP) with other materials to enhance its properties. Polypropylene is a thermoplastic polymer widely used in a variety of applications, including packaging, textile, automotive, medical devices and much more. Polypropylene is known to be durable, strong and affordable. However, in some applications, polypropylene needs certain property enhancements to meet the requirements of manufacturers and consumers. Polypropylene composite is produced by mixing polypropylene with other materials, such as glass fibres, talc, mica, rubber and other polymers. These materials, called “fillers”, can enhance the properties of polypropylene, such as mechanical strength, stiffness, temperature resistance, chemical resistance, dimensional stability and appearance.
Applications of polypropylene composite
Polypropylene composite is used in a wide variety of applications, from car parts to household appliances, toys and medical equipment. For example, in the automotive industry, polypropylene composite is used to manufacture car parts such as body panels, bumpers and seats. The addition of glass fibres to polypropylene improves the tensile strength and stiffness of these parts, making them more durable and impact resistant.
In the household appliance industry, polypropylene composite is used to manufacture parts for washing machines, dryers, dishwashers and other household appliances. The addition of talc to polypropylene improves dimensional stability and high temperature resistance, making them more durable and resistant to deformation.
In the medical industry, polypropylene composite is used to manufacture medical devices such as syringes, catheters and infusion equipment. The addition of other polymers to polypropylene improves the compatibility with body fluids and the biocompatibility of these devices.
Main fillers in polypropylene composites
Calcium carbonate
It is a mineral filler with a very low cost, which gives a significant degree of competitiveness to the polymer containing it. It is used to improve the stiffness, strength and dimensional stability of the polypropylene composite and, given its low cost, if the part in question allows it, a considerable reduction in the price of the material can be achieved. These are usually fillers of 20% to 40%, and are recommended materials for applications such as garden furniture and small household appliances.
Talc
It is a mineral filler used to improve the stiffness, heat resistance and deformation resistance of polypropylene composite, with improved dimensional stability and impact values over calcium carbonate. Applications are similar to those of carbonate, but it is used where an improved surface finish is required. The range of polypropylene composites containing talc ranges from a 10% to a 50% of load, on Homopolymer and Copolymer basis. It also increases the flexural elastic modulus and density of the product, as well as its thermal resistance. These materials are widely used in the automotive sector, with a multitude of internal parts (such as seats, door linings, consoles, dashboards, glove compartments and pillars, as well as other unseen parts). Also in exterior parts such as bumpers, grilles or headlights and rear lights supports, and of course also in engine parts and elements.
Glass Fibre
The addition of glass fibre to polypropylene composite improves the strength and stiffness of the material, making it suitable for structural applications. They are often used for the production of engine casings and other technical parts, including car and under-bonnet elements. Normally these parts correspond to mechanically stressed parts and unseen structural parts, in the automotive sector there are many examples, such as console supports or dashboards.
In the range of polypropylene composites supplied by Quimidroga, the fibre is chemically anchored, which provides an aesthetic finish to the parts, unlike other polypropylene composites on the market, where the anchoring is merely mechanical. The chemical anchorage allows us to modify the polypropylene from a 10% to 50% of load, being able to obtain highly competitive materials compared to other product ranges, such as Polyamide 6 with load. This point is very important as it has allowed us to replace, in some applications, a polyamide in favour of a fibre polypropylene composite, with the consequent cost savings (approx. 30%), as well as improving the surface finish of the part and its flexural modulus, making it last over time and without depending on the environmental humidity, as is the case with Polyamides.
Recycled polypropylene composites
Our entire range of premium composite products is mirrored by our new line of recycled materials, i.e. which contain varying proportions of recycled material, making them much more eco-friendly and with a carbon footprint minimised to the maximum, while maintaining all the properties of the premium grades.
This range of products with recycled content is the most important commitment of the automotive sector, where the need for recycled materials is growing every day, given the significant demand for materials providing an improvement in circularity.
Customised polypropylene composite
The polypropylene composites distributed by Quimidroga are in continuous development. Our proximity to clients allows us to learn about market needs and, as a result, many of our new products are customised according to these needs. We are always looking for the right combination of fillers for each need.
Do you have a specific need? Let us know about it.
