SPE WORKSHOP: Polypropylene 101

  Workshop

Polypropylene 101

  June 2, 3 & 5, 2026
  All workshop days are from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM ET.
  Online

Polypropylene 101

  Summary

Polypropylene (PP) is one of the most widely used plastics in the world, valued for its versatility, cost-effectiveness, and balance of mechanical and chemical properties. It plays a critical role across industries—from packaging and automotive to textiles, medical devices, and consumer goods—making a solid understanding of its structure, processing, and performance essential for engineers, scientists, and manufacturers.

This  workshop provides a comprehensive foundation in polypropylene. Participants will learn about polymer structure and morphology, resin types, catalysis, and how to interpret data sheets for resin selection. The program explores melt-phase properties such as rheology, viscosity, and melt strength, along with the influence of molecular weight and distribution on controlled rheology PP.

Key fabrication processes—including injection molding, surface modification, welding, and optional techniques like extrusion, blow molding, and film production—are covered alongside the solid-state structure of PP, with attention to crystalline hierarchy, tacticity, crystallization mechanisms, and morphology.

The workshop also highlights the importance of additives in enhancing PP performance, from stabilizers that improve processing and durability to functional agents that enable specialized applications. Finally, participants will examine chemical interactions within polypropylene systems, equipping them with practical insights to optimize material performance.

  Agenda

June 2, 2026
Session 1: Polymer Structure and Morphology
Duration: 2 Hours
June 3, 2026
Session 2: Fabrication Processes
Duration: 2 Hours
June 5, 2026
Session 3: Additives
Duration: 2 Hours
 

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.

  Registration Information

SPE Premium Member$540
SPE Members$600
Nonmembers$800

  Workshop Packs

Strengthen your team’s skills and take advantage of group savings with an SPE Workshop Pack.
Go here for Workshop Pack information and registration.

 
3 Sessions
 
Level: Intermediate
 
Total Hours: 6 Hours
 
Streaming access on desktop and mobile browsers

  Instructor

Philip Jacoby
President
Jacoby Polymer Consulting
  LinkedIn

Dr. Philip Jacoby received his Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from the University of Wisconsin in Madison, Wisconsin. He was a Senior Research Associate with Amoco and BP-Amoco in the Polypropylene Product Development group for more than 26 years. He holds 13 US patents and several international patents covering various polypropylene products, with emphasis on the use of Beta Nucleation in polypropylene. While at Amoco he developed a new business involving the production and sale of microporous PP breathable/waterproof film, and he authored six US patents on this technology.

He joined Mayzo, Inc. (an additive and release coat supplier) as VP of Technology in October, 2002. While at Mayzo he developed an entirely new business based on the production and sale of Beta Nucleant masterbatches for use in polypropylene. He also authored several additional patents. He has also written numerous technical articles involving PP technology, and authored a book entitled “Beta Nucleation of Polypropylene”. He is a past president of the Southern Section of the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE), and a former board member of the Thermoforming Division of the SPE. He retired from Mayzo in March, 2014, and now does independent consulting.

Specialties: Polyolefin technology and product development. Polypropylene structure-property relationships.

  Questions? Contact:

For questions, contact Iván D. López.

  Who Should Attend?

This workshop is designed for professionals who work with polypropylene materials or need a strong technical foundation in PP, including:

  • Materials, polymer, and chemical engineers
  • Product and application engineers
  • Manufacturing and process engineers working with injection molding, extrusion, and related PP processes
  • R&D scientists and technicians
  • Quality, reliability, and failure-analysis professionals
  • Technical sales, application engineers, and supplier support teams
  • Students and early-career professionals entering plastics engineering or polymer science roles

  Why Should You Attend?

Polypropylene is one of the most widely used plastics worldwide, yet its performance is highly dependent on structure, resin selection, processing conditions, and modification strategies. This workshop provides a comprehensive and practical foundation in polypropylene, enabling attendees to understand how chemistry, morphology, and processing variables influence real-world performance across multiple industries.

  Everyday Problems You’ll Address

  • How do different PP grades behave differently in processing and end use?
  • How do molecular weight and molecular weight distribution affect rheology, viscosity, and melt strength?
  • How should data sheets be interpreted for proper PP resin selection?
  • Why do processing challenges arise in injection molding, welding, or extrusion of PP?
  • How do additives change durability, processability, and functionality?
  • How does crystalline structure and morphology influence mechanical performance?

  What You’ll Learn

You will learn:

  • Polypropylene chemistry, structure, and morphology
  • Types of PP resins, catalysis, and structure–property relationships
  • How to interpret PP data sheets for informed material selection
  • Melt-phase behavior including rheology, viscosity, melt strength, and controlled rheology PP
  • Key fabrication processes such as injection molding, surface modification, welding, and optional extrusion, blow molding, and film production
  • Solid-state structure of PP, including crystallinity, tacticity, and morphology
  • Role of additives in improving processing, durability, and application-specific performance
  • Chemical interactions within PP systems that influence long-term performance

  Why This Course Matters

Polypropylene plays a central role in modern manufacturing due to its balance of cost, performance, and versatility, and its importance continues to grow in sustainability-driven applications. This course matters because it equips engineers and scientists with the knowledge needed to select, process, and modify PP effectively, reduce processing and performance risks, and optimize material solutions across a wide range of industrial applications.

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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Anti-Trust Statement

  1. No discussion among members, volunteers, or staff, which attempts to arrive at any agreement regarding prices, terms or conditions of sale, distribution, volume, territories, or customers;
  2. No activity or communication which might be construed as an attempt to prevent any person or business entity from gaining access to any market or customer for goods or services or any business entity from obtaining services or a supply of goods;
  3. No activity or communication which might be construed as an agreement to refrain from purchasing or using any materials, equipment, services or supplies of or from any supplier; or
  4. No other activity which violates anti-trust or applicable laws aimed at preventing unfair competition.

For more information, visit the SPE Code of Conduct page.

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