SPE COURSE: Polypropylene: Commodity Resin, I Don’t Think So
Course
Polypropylene: Commodity Resin, I Don’t Think So
November 9, 2026 • 2:00 to 3:00 PM ET Online
Summary
Polypropylene is often referred to as a “commodity resin”, however, is this really the case?
Polypropylene is a versatile thermoplastic that can be processed through a variety of processing techniques. It is utilized in a wide range of applications, including packaging, automotive, infrastructure, appliances, healthcare, and electrical. It’s wide use is based upon several key strengths, including:
Good chemical resistance
Good electrical insulation properties
Flexural strength and modulus
Relatively low coefficient of friction
Readily available and relatively inexpensive
The implication of the interchangeability of polypropylene resins does a disservice to the complexity of this material and the plastic industry in general. The properties of polypropylene are highly dependent on molecular weight and molecular weight distribution, crystallinity, type and proportion of comonomer, and tacticity.
Hopefully, viewing the on demand course, attendees will
Gain an understanding of the general properties of polypropylene.
Have more insight into how the molecular structure of polypropylene determines its performance properties.
Appreciate the diversity of polypropylene.
If you can't attend one or several sessions live, or if you want to review some concepts, the recordings will be available after each session.
Jeffrey A. Jansen is the Engineering Manager and a Partner at The Madison Group, an independent plastics engineering and consulting firm. Jeff is a proven plastic professional with more than 30 years of experience solving problems and addressing opportunities related to polymeric materials. He specializes in failure analysis, material identification and selection, as well as compatibility, aging, and lifetime prediction studies for thermoplastic materials. Jeff has performed over 5,000 investigations, both for industrial clients and as a part of litigation. He is a regular presenter on the SPE webinar series, covering a wide range of topics related to plastics failure, material performance, testing, and polymer technology. Jeff is a graduate of Carroll College and the Milwaukee School of Engineering.
This course is designed for professionals who work with polypropylene or make decisions that affect PP performance, including:
Materials, polymer, and chemical engineers
Product and application engineers and designers selecting PP for end-use requirements
Manufacturing and process engineers working with injection molding, extrusion, thermoforming, blow molding, and related processes
R&D scientists and technicians
Quality, reliability, testing, and failure-analysis professionals
Technical service, application-development, and technical sales teams
Sales and marketing professionals responsible for polypropylene resins, compounds, or PP-based products
Procurement and sourcing professionals evaluating resin substitutions
Students and early-career plastics professionals seeking a practical PP foundation
Why Should You Attend?
Polypropylene is often treated as an interchangeable commodity, but differences in molecular weight and distribution, crystallinity, comonomer content, and tacticity can produce meaningful changes in processing and end-use performance. This course gives attendees a practical framework for understanding those differences so they can select, specify, process, and troubleshoot PP with greater confidence.
Everyday Problems You’ll Address
Why do two polypropylene grades that appear similar perform differently in processing or service?
How do molecular weight and molecular weight distribution affect flow, processability, and mechanical behavior?
How do crystallinity, comonomer content, and tacticity influence stiffness, toughness, and other properties?
What should be considered before approving a lower-cost or more readily available PP substitution?
Why can PP parts fail to meet expectations even when the material is described as a commodity resin?
How can teams connect resin structure and grade differences to application requirements?
What You’ll Learn
You will learn:
The general properties and key strengths of polypropylene
Why PP is used across packaging, automotive, infrastructure, appliances, healthcare, and electrical applications
How molecular weight and molecular weight distribution influence performance
How crystallinity affects material behavior
The role of comonomer type and proportion in differentiating PP grades
How tacticity relates to structure and properties
Why polypropylene resins are not automatically interchangeable
A structure–property perspective for better material selection, specification, and troubleshooting
Why This Course Matters
Polypropylene’s combination of chemical resistance, electrical insulation, flexural performance, low friction, availability, and cost makes it essential across many industries—but treating every PP grade as equivalent creates avoidable qualification, processing, quality, and performance risks. This course matters because it helps technical and commercial teams make more informed resin decisions and communicate clearly about the diversity of polypropylene.
This educational program is provided as a service of SPE. The views and opinions expressed on this or any SPE educational program are those of the Speaker(s) and/or the persons appearing with the Speaker(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the Society of Plastics Engineers, Inc. (SPE) or its officials, employees or designees. To comment or to present an opposing or supporting opinion, please contact us at info@4SPE.org.
Refund Policy
Full refund 14 days prior to the event start date. Please contact customerrelations@4spe.org for assistance with registration.
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