The performance characteristics of polypropylene fiber can be summarized as follows:
Light weight: The density of polypropylene fiber is the lightest among all chemical fibers, with a specific value of 0.90-0.92 g/cm³, which is 20% lighter than nylon, 30% lighter than polyester, and 40% lighter than viscose fiber. This light weight makes polypropylene fiber very suitable as a filling for winter clothing or a fabric for ski suits, mountaineering suits, etc.
High strength, good elasticity, wear resistance, and corrosion resistance: Polypropylene fiber has high strength, and its strength is the same in dry and wet states, and can reach the strength of polyester, which is suitable for making fishing nets, cables, etc. At the same time, its wear resistance and resilience are also very good, and the rebound rate is comparable to nylon and wool. In addition, it also has excellent chemical resistance and anti-microbial resistance.
Electrical insulation and warmth retention: Polypropylene fiber has a high resistivity and a low thermal conductivity, which makes it have good electrical insulation and warmth retention. This characteristic makes polypropylene fiber widely used in the field of clothing and thermal insulation materials.
Poor heat resistance and aging resistance: Polypropylene fiber has a low melting point (165~173℃) and poor stability to light and heat, so its heat resistance and aging resistance are relatively poor. However, by adding anti-aging agents during spinning, its anti-aging properties can be improved.
Poor hygroscopicity and dyeability: The hygroscopicity and dyeability of polypropylene fiber are the worst among chemical fibers. It hardly absorbs moisture, and its moisture regain is less than 0.03%. Despite this, fine-denier polypropylene fiber still has a strong wicking effect, which can remove water vapor through the capillaries in the fiber, making the finished clothing more comfortable. Polypropylene fiber also has poor dyeability, light color, poor dyeing fastness, and most of them are produced by pre-spinning coloring.
Wide range of applications: Due to its excellent performance characteristics, polypropylene fiber is widely used in concrete, geotextiles, sanitary materials, sports warm clothing, carpets and other fields. For example, it can be used as a filling material for concrete, plaster, etc. to improve the impact resistance, waterproofness and heat insulation of concrete; it can also be used to make polypropylene woven geotextiles to reinforce civil engineering projects built on soft soil foundations.
The above is a detailed summary of the performance characteristics of polypropylene fibers.