Polypropylene Pop Quiz

Available Grades

Q: Converters have expressed difficulty finding polypropylene below 60 gauge. Does 60 gauge meet most application needs, or will thinner gauges need to become more accessible in the coming year?

A: Though 50 gauge films are available from a number of suppliers, including Mobil, most BOPP manufacturing and converting processes have better efficiencies when the film thickness is greater than 60 gauge. The interest in thinner materials has been primarily driven by needs to find better economics, but the decrease in cost is not that pronounced for the thinnest gauges that are available. In addition, there are performance trade-offs below 60 gauge, such as increased web handling difficulties and reduced stiffness and water vapor properties.