Polypropylene carbonate also called poly(propylene carbonate), is a polyalkylene carbonate plastic

Plastic

A plastic material is any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic solids used in the manufacture of industrial products. Plastics are typically polymers of high molecular mass, and may contain other substances to improve performance and/or reduce production costs...

 material, a copolymer of carbon dioxide

Carbon dioxide

Carbon dioxide is a naturally occurring chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalently bonded to a single carbon atom...

 and propylene oxide

Propylene oxide

Propylene oxide is an organic compound with the molecular formula CH3CHCH2O. This colourless volatile liquid is produced on a large scale industrially, its major application being its use for the production of polyether polyols for use in making polyurethane plastics...

. It is made by reacting the monomers in presence of eg. a zinc glutarate catalyst. Its CAS number is or .

Polypropylene carbonate is soluble in polar

Chemical polarity

In chemistry, polarity refers to a separation of electric charge leading to a molecule or its chemical groups having an electric dipole or multipole moment. Polar molecules interact through dipole–dipole intermolecular forces and hydrogen bonds. Molecular polarity is dependent on the difference in...

 solvent

Solvent

A solvent is a liquid, solid, or gas that dissolves another solid, liquid, or gaseous solute, resulting in a solution that is soluble in a certain volume of solvent at a specified temperature...

s, eg. acetone

Acetone

Acetone is the organic compound with the formula 2CO, a colorless, mobile, flammable liquid, the simplest example of the ketones.Acetone is miscible with water and serves as an important solvent in its own right, typically as the solvent of choice for cleaning purposes in the laboratory...

, methyl ethyl ketone, ethyl acetate

Ethyl acetate

Ethyl acetate is the organic compound with the formula CH3COOCH2CH3. This colorless liquid has a characteristic sweet smell and is used in glues, nail polish removers, and cigarettes...

, dichloromethane

Dichloromethane

Dichloromethane is an organic compound with the formula CH2Cl2. This colorless, volatile liquid with a moderately sweet aroma is widely used as a solvent. Although it is not miscible with water, it is miscible with many organic solvents...

 and chlorinated hydrocarbons. It is insoluble in ethyl alcohol, ethylene glycol

Ethylene glycol

Ethylene glycol is an organic compound widely used as an automotive antifreeze and a precursor to polymers. In its pure form, it is an odorless, colorless, syrupy, sweet-tasting liquid...

s, water, and aliphatic hydrocarbons. Stable emulsion

Emulsion

An emulsion is a mixture of two or more liquids that are normally immiscible . Emulsions are part of a more general class of two-phase systems of matter called colloids. Although the terms colloid and emulsion are sometimes used interchangeably, emulsion is used when both the dispersed and the...

s in water are available commercially only from Empower Materials Inc., Newark DE USA. http://www.empowermaterials.com

Polypropylene carbonate is used eg. as a binder

Binder (material)

-See also:*Adhesive or Glue*Cement*Paint...

, and to increase the toughness of some epoxy resins. It is unsuitable as an oxygen barrier, and therefore is used in applications where diffusion of oxygen through the plastic is desired.

In ceramics industry, polypropylene carbonate and polyethylene carbonate are used as sacrificial binder

Binder (material)

-See also:*Adhesive or Glue*Cement*Paint...

s, especially alumina and silicon carbide

Silicon carbide

Silicon carbide , also known as carborundum, is a compound of silicon and carbon with chemical formula SiC. It occurs in nature as the extremely rare mineral moissanite. Silicon carbide powder has been mass-produced since 1893 for use as an abrasive...

; the polymers evaporate during sintering

Sintering

Sintering is a method used to create objects from powders. It is based on atomic diffusion. Diffusion occurs in any material above absolute zero, but it occurs much faster at higher temperatures. In most sintering processes, the powdered material is held in a mold and then heated to a temperature...

 as they decompose completely above 300 °C. Together with plasticizer

Plasticizer

Plasticizers or dispersants are additives that increase the plasticity or fluidity of the material to which they are added; these include plastics, cement, concrete, wallboard, and clay. Although the same compounds are often used for both plastics and concretes the desired effects and results are...

s they account for the most of the volumes of the ceramic additives; a typical amount of binder in the ceramic is 2-3 weight %. Due to their low content of sodium

Sodium

Sodium is a chemical element with the symbol Na and atomic number 11. It is a soft, silvery-white, highly reactive metal and is a member of the alkali metals; its only stable isotope is 23Na. It is an abundant element that exists in numerous minerals, most commonly as sodium chloride...

 they are suitable for preparation of dielectric materials, piezoelectric ceramics, and other special electroceramics. As a binder, PPC is available from Novomer Inc., Ithaca, NY USA or Empower Materials Inc., New Castle, DE USA under the trade name QPAC-40.http://www.novomer.comhttp://www.empowermaterials.com/news%20article%202.htm. Polyethylene carbonate or PEC, is commercially available from Empower Materials Inc. under the trade name QPAC-25.

Polypropylene carbonate binders are amorphous, with glass transition temperature of 40 °C. Polyethylene carbonate has glass transition temperature of 25 °C.

Monomeric propylene carbonate

Propylene carbonate

Propylene carbonate is an organic compound, a cyclic carbonate of propylene glycol. This colorless and odorless liquid is useful as a polar, aprotic solvent...

 is used as an organic solvent

Solvent

A solvent is a liquid, solid, or gas that dissolves another solid, liquid, or gaseous solute, resulting in a solution that is soluble in a certain volume of solvent at a specified temperature...

. It can be used as a plasticizer

Plasticizer

Plasticizers or dispersants are additives that increase the plasticity or fluidity of the material to which they are added; these include plastics, cement, concrete, wallboard, and clay. Although the same compounds are often used for both plastics and concretes the desired effects and results are...

, to lower the glass transition temperature of polypropylene carbonate and polyethylene carbonate. It is also a byproduct of manufacture of PPC.

Composites of polypropylene carbonate with starch

Starch

Starch or amylum is a carbohydrate consisting of a large number of glucose units joined together by glycosidic bonds. This polysaccharide is produced by all green plants as an energy store...

 (PPC/starch) can be used as a biodegradable plastic.