1. POLYPROPYLENE! One Popular Polymer!

2. What’s so great about POLYPROPYLENE? High Melting Point (dishwasher safe!) Intermediate crystallinity: tough without being brittle High resistance to fatigue (living hinge) Chemically Inert CHEAP to MAKE!!!

3. Polypropylene comes from Propylene!

5. Synthesis 1. Zeigler-Natta polymerization: TiCl3 + Al(C2H5)2Cl, or TiCl4 + Al(C2H5)3

6. Synthesis 2) Kaminsky Catalysts: Metallocene A metallocene is a positively charged metal ion sandwiched between two negatively charged cyclopentadienyl anions.

7. The era of Polypropylene & Polyethylene Courtesy of Mr. Hogan and Mr. Banks

8. Polypropylene is Useful...

9. How much polypropylene is out there? Product CategoryEstimated US Generation Durable Goods1,030,000 Non Durables*740,000 Other Plastic Containers70,000 Bags, Sacks, Wraps430,000 Other Plastic packaging**310,000 Total Generated2,580,000 PP generation in 1996 (tons) Source: EPA, Characterization of Municipal Solid Waste in the United States: 1997 Update * Includes plastics in disposable diapers, clothing, footwear, etc. ** Other plastics packaging includes coatings, closures, caps, trays, shapes, etc.

10. Longevity: ? 100s of years “Plastics numbered 3-7 have very limited markets, and the cost to separate and ship these small volume plastics is in excess of $12,000 per month.” - Madison pride recycling program Madison, WI Roughly 25,000 tons were recycled in 1996 (that’s 1%) The only way to get rid of it is to burn it.

11. “Polypropylene”, Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polypropylene, 11/1/05http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polypropylene “Plastics Recycling Information Sheet”, Waste Online. http://www.wasteonline.org.uk/resources/InformationSheets/Plastics.htm, 11/7/05 http://www.wasteonline.org.uk/resources/InformationSheets/Plastics.htm “Plastics Recycling” and “Polypropylene PP”, British Plastics Federation. http://www.bpf.co.uk/bpfindustry/process_plastics_recycling.cfm and http://www.bpf.co.uk/bpfindustry/plastics_materials_polypropylene_PP.cfm, 11/7/05 http://www.bpf.co.uk/bpfindustry/process_plastics_recycling.cfm http://www.bpf.co.uk/bpfindustry/plastics_materials_polypropylene_PP.cfm “Polypropylene”, Macrogalleria. http://www.pslc.ws/mactest/pp.htm 11/1/05http://www.pslc.ws/mactest/pp.htm 11/1/05 “Polypropylene PP”, Bird Box Company, http://www.birdboxcompany.com/en/pp_data.htm, 11/7/05http://www.birdboxcompany.com/en/pp_data.htm “Recycling Symbols (US)”, Earth Odessy LLC. http://www.earthodyssey.com/symbols.html 11/7/05http://www.earthodyssey.com/symbols.html “Stonyfield Farm and Environmental Packaging”, Stonyfield Farm. http://www.stonyfield.com/EarthActions/EnvironmentalPackaging.cfm., 11/7/05 http://www.stonyfield.com/EarthActions/EnvironmentalPackaging.cfm “UV Damage to Polymers”, UN Environment Program. http://www.gcrio.org/UNEP1998/UNEP98p62.html http://www.p2pays.org/ref/02/0162230.pdf 11/7/05http://www.gcrio.org/UNEP1998/UNEP98p62.html http://www.p2pays.org/ref/02/0162230.pdf 11/7/05 “Chemical of the Week: Polymers” Science is Fun. http://scifun.chem.wisc.edu/chemweek/POLYMERS/Polymers.html, 11/1/05 http://scifun.chem.wisc.edu/chemweek/POLYMERS/Polymers.html “Plastic: PP (#5) Commodity Profile of market Assessment”, 1998. North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources/ Division of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance. Bibliography