Polypropylene (PP) Homopolymer
PP homopolymer is a thermoplastic, further classified as a polypropylene plastic.
The properties of PP homopolymer include three common variations. This page shows summary ranges across all of them. For more specific values, follow the links immediately below. The graph bars on the material properties cards further below compare PP homopolymer to: polypropylene plastics (top), all thermoplastics (middle), and the entire database (bottom). A full bar means this is the highest value in the relevant set. A half-full bar means it's 50% of the highest, and so on.
Mechanical Properties
Compressive (Crushing) Strength
45 to 64 MPa 6.5 to 9.3 x 103 psi
Elongation at Break
3.0 to 80 %
Flexural Modulus
1.5 to 7.0 GPa 0.22 to 1.0 x 106 psi
Flexural Strength
41 to 100 MPa 5.9 to 15 x 103 psi
Impact Strength: Notched Izod
42 to 95 J/m 0.79 to 1.8 ft-lb/in
Rockwell R Hardness
90 to 110
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS)
36 to 93 MPa 5.1 to 13 x 103 psi
Thermal Properties
Glass Transition Temperature
170 °C 340 °F
Heat Deflection Temperature At 1.82 MPa (264 psi)
73 to 160 °C 160 to 320 °F
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical
120 °C 250 °F
Specific Heat Capacity
1230 to 1900 J/kg-K 0.29 to 0.45 BTU/lb-°F
Thermal Expansion
30 to 90 µm/m-K
Otherwise Unclassified Properties
Density
0.91 to 1.2 g/cm3 56 to 76 lb/ft3
Water Absorption At Saturation
0.010 to 0.090 %
Common Calculations
Strength to Weight: Axial
11 to 21 points
Strength to Weight: Bending
27 to 37 points
Followup Questions
Further Reading
ASTM D883: Standard Terminology Relating to Plastics
Reinforced Plastics Durability, Geoffrey Pritchard (editor), 1999
SPI Plastics Engineering Handbook of the Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc., 5th ed., Michael L. Berins (editor), 2000
Modern Plastics Handbook, Charles A. Harper (editor), 1999
Plastics Materials, 7th ed., J. A. Brydson, 1999