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Polyolefin is a non-polar, odorless, and non-porous thermoplastic polymer used in consumer goods, food packaging, and industrial products. It is created by polymerizing a simple olefin and consists of carbon and hydrogen atoms. Polyolefins are easy and cheap to dye and shape, and include polybutene, polyethylene, and polypropylene.
Polyolefin is the largest class of organic thermoplastic polymers. They are non-polar, odorless, and non-porous materials that are often used in consumer goods, structural plastics, food packaging, and industrial products. Consequently, they are also called “basic thermoplastics”. The name means “oil-like” and refers to the oily or waxy consistency of this class of plastic resins. This class of polymers is more commonly referred to as a polyalkene, although “polyolefin” is still a common term in organic chemistry and the petrochemical industry.
In some places, the term is also used to refer to shrink plastic wrap, a thermoplastic material that expands when heated to lower temperatures than other thermoplastics. The material retains its odorless and non-porous properties as it heats and cools, making it an ideal material for food packaging. Polyolefin is also used in the packaging of high-end consumer goods such as CDs or electronic devices as it keeps the goods safe from moisture, dust and static electricity.
At the molecular level, these substances are created by the polymerization of a simple olefin. Simple olefins, also known as alkenes, are organic hydrocarbons composed of one pair of double bonded carbon atoms and four hydrogen atoms. The other more complex types of olefins include ethylene, propylene, butenes and butadiene. All natural ones are derived from petroleum and natural gas.
Polyolefin materials consist only of carbon and hydrogen atoms. The double bonded carbon atoms form the nucleus of the molecule. Materials such as poly-alpha-olefin, polybutene, polyethylene and polypropylene have more complex olefin branches which are bonded to double bonded carbon molecules.
Easy and cheap to dye and shape, polyolefins are plastic resins of choice in industry and for consumer goods. The higher ones – those polymers created from more complex olefins – retain their molecular structure at hotter and colder temperatures than at lower ones. In general, they melt at extremely high temperatures and shatter at extremely low temperatures.
Polyolefin materials include polybutene, polyethylene and polypropylene. Polybutene is a liquid polymer used in lubricants, sealants, synthetic rubber, makeup and lipstick. Polyethylene is commonly used in products such as shrink wrap and plastic grocery bags. Polypropylene is a hard plastic resin used in products from food packaging, electronics, carpeting, and dishwasher-safe plastic food containers.
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