Polypropylene is a thermoplastic polymer (which in simple terms, are tiny pieces of plastic)
In the mid-20th century, deforestation and water conservation were two of the biggest concerns for people that made normal wood fiber paper – at the same time of this crisis, the petroleum industry started taking off
At the time in the US, a major paper company and a major petroleum company joined together to create the first plastic paper – and with this happening in the US, word spread globally, and Japan and the UK followed suit with with their own product development – all becoming a part of the first generation of synthetic paper
Synthetic paper back in the day was weak in terms of printing and processing capabilities – it wasn’t understood as a norm against traditional paper
Our Manufacturing Process
The process begins by combining polypropylene, the base material, with other additives
The mixture is then passed through heating and extrusion (extrusion is where the heating takes place)
Base and surface layers comprised of the polypropylene pellets and other additives and take formation during the extruding process – bonding to create a strong, biaxial-oriented substrate
Then stretched during the calendering process – where it gains its form, smoothness, strength and opacity to become the final product
The way the paper is manufactured results in it having a rough side and a smooth side
Every phase of the manufacturing process is computer controlled and closely monitored to ensure adherence to a stringent quality standard.