Overview
Thermoplastic Polyolefins (TPOs) are polypropylene based materials that have been modified to provide better ductility and impact resistance compared to standard off-the-shelf Polypropylene (PP) grades.
TPOs retain the ease of processing, lightweight nature, and chemical resistance of PP. However, they do not require drying prior to molding, which saves on both cost and time.
Often, TPOs are compounded with fillers – usually minerals – to provide a good balance of stiffness and impact resistance, as well as better dimensional stability and increased Heat Deflection Temperature (HDT). Proper choice of minerals allows these filled compounds to retain ductile behavior well below 0 °C, something traditional PPs cannot achieve. Stiffness and impact resistance can be custom tailored to provide the right balance for a wide range of applications.
While the cost of TPOs are often slightly higher than traditional PP compounds, TPOs are still a very cost effective choice for applications requiring good impact resistance and stiffness when other Polyethylene (PE) or PP materials do not meet the application demands.
TPO compounds can be formulated for increased UV weathering and scratch/mar resistance when needed. The UV grades of RTP Company’s TPO compounds were designed to be compatible with common paint systems to provide an all-in-one solution for situations where some parts are painted and some are not.
