— APPLICATION
Polypropylene for sheet extrusion and thermoforming
A polypropylene sheet extrusion grade has two customers. The extruder wants a flat sheet of even gauge; the thermoformer wants that sheet to soften evenly and fill the mould. PP is less forgiving here than amorphous plastics, because it goes from stiff to runny over a narrow temperature range. This page covers grades for formed trays and cups, twin-wall corrugated board and stationery sheet.
— REQUIREMENTS
What the sheet has to do
In the oven, the sheet should sag a little and evenly. Too much and it touches the heaters or folds into webs at the corners. Too little and it never reaches the detail in the mould. A deep tray must keep enough wall at the bottom corners, which depends on the draw ratio and on how the material thins as it stretches.
The trim skeleton goes back into the extruder, so the sheet has to stay the same with regrind in it. Corrugated board must stay flat and stiff across the flutes. Folders and covers have to take repeated folding without whitening.
— SELECTION
Choosing a PP thermoforming grade
Sheet grades sit at the low end of the melt flow scale. The extruder needs melt strength to hold a flat web, and the oven needs sag resistance. Higher flow forms faster but sags sooner.
Homopolymer gives the stiffness for food trays, cups and fruit baskets. Nucleated homopolymers add stiffness and transparency.
Impact copolymer is for parts that are handled cold or knocked about, and for corrugated board and panels. It keeps its impact strength below zero.
Random copolymer gives a glossier, softer sheet for stationery and display, with good stress-cracking and chemical resistance.
Solid-phase forming is a separate route. The sheet is formed just below its melting point, so it stays solid and orients as it stretches. Homopolymers made for biaxially oriented film are used for this sheet.
HDPE appears where the sheet replaces paper, as in synthetic paper and labels made on blown film lines.
— GRADES
Grades we can supply
Check the melt flow test conditions before comparing a PP sheet grade with a PE one.
PP homopolymer
KeyForm
·
Velogy
PP
KeyForm P0710
PP homopolymer
KeyForm P0710 is a polypropylene homopolymer for extrusion and thermoforming. Its additive package is designed for low water carry-over.
Sheet extrusion/thermoforming
Compounding
Film extrusion
Industries
Flexible packaging
Industrial
Rigid packaging
Fibres & nonwovens
KeyForm
·
Velogy
PP
KeyForm P0700
PP homopolymer
KeyForm P0700 is a polypropylene homopolymer for biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) film. It is suitable for metallisable film in monolayer and coextruded structures.
Sheet extrusion/thermoforming
Film extrusion
BOPP
Industries
Flexible packaging
KeyForm
·
Velogy
PP
KeyForm P0740
PP homopolymer
KeyForm P0740 is a nucleated homopolymer for extrusion and thermoforming, with good stiffness and transparency. Typical uses include fruit baskets, trays, transparent drinking cups and containers.
Sheet extrusion/thermoforming
Industries
Rigid packaging
PP impact copolymer
KeyForm
·
Velogy
PP
KeyForm E0530
PP impact copolymer
KeyForm E0530 is a heterophasic copolymer developed for extrusion. It combines high stiffness with very high impact performance at room and sub-zero temperatures, dimensional stability, and creep and deformation resistance.
Sheet extrusion/thermoforming
Extrusion blow moulding
Industries
Consumer goods
Rigid packaging
KeyForm
·
Velogy
PP
KeyForm E0600
PP impact copolymer
KeyForm E0600 is a heterophasic copolymer developed for extrusion. It combines high stiffness with very high impact performance at room and sub-zero temperatures, dimensional stability, and creep and deformation resistance.
Sheet extrusion/thermoforming
Industries
Consumer goods
Rigid packaging
— NEED HELP CHOOSING?
Not sure which grade fits?
Send us the sheet gauge, the part and its draw depth, and your forming line: inline or offline.
— PROCESSING
Extrusion, forming and regrind
Sheet is extruded through a flat die and cooled on chill rolls. Inline lines feed the former directly; offline lines stack or wind the sheet first. Twin-wall board is extruded through a profile die. Keep the share of regrind steady: each pass through the extruder lowers the viscosity of PP a little and changes how the sheet sags. Tell us your sheet gauge and line set-up.
Sheet extrusion/thermoforming
Extrusion
— DOCUMENTATION
Food contact and medicine blisters
Formed food trays and cups need a declaration of compliance under Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 from the maker of the finished article, supported by the producer's declaration for the grade, which we pass on. Blister packs for medicines have their own page: PP for blister packaging. The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (EU) 2025/40 has applied since 12 August 2026 and covers trays and cups like any other packaging.
— PRODUCERS
Producers for this application
Brands for this application
— FAQ
Common questions
Which grade suits PP corrugated sheet?
What is solid-phase thermoforming PP?
— RELATED
