Superior temperature resistance makes PP suitable for replacing PET in applications such as sterilisable medical containers

Superior temperature resistance makes PP suitable for replacing PET in applications such as sterilisable medical containers

Polypropylene can offer better hot fill performance – at a much cheaper price – than PET bottles in certain applications, according to the German IKV plastics research institute. At its recent international colloquium in Aachen, Wolfgang Papst of IKV said the only existing application of PP preforms was in South America, where still water bottles were produced using two-stage injection stretch blow moulding. This enables higher quality to be achieved in the thread and neck areas, with associated better sealing with the closure cap, he said.

PP can offer faster cycle times and PP bottles can withstand higher hot fill and sterilisation temperatures than PET. Papst said PP would be an ideal replacement for PET applications such as bottles for household cleaners, because of its superior chemical resistance. Sterilisable medical containers and hot filling of fruit juices and tea were other potential applications.