Polypropylene Glycols and Copolymers North America - Chemical Intermediates

Overview
Polypropylene glycols are used as chemical intermediates in a wide range of industries. All DOW polypropylene glycols have one or more terminal hydroxy groups which can be further reacted to modify the properties of a final product. Polypropylene glycols (PPGs) have two secondary hydroxy groups.

Polypropylene glycols are water soluble at low molecular weights (P425), but most of the product line is considered sparingly soluble in water. They are liquids down to very low temperatures, such as -35ºC. The secondary hydroxy group of polypropylene glycols is not as reactive as the primary hydroxy group on polyethylene glycols. PT-series products have three terminal secondary hydroxy groups, which provide more crosslinking sites.

Products
Any polypropylene glycol can be used as a chemical intermediate. The following products are the most commonly used. Although each polyglycol has unique properties based on molecular weight and the monomer(s) used, they all share some common properties.

Specific Applications
UV Radiation Curable Coatings
Polypropylene glycols are reacted with either acrylic acid or methacrylic acid to produce reactive monomers for radiation curable coatings. Lower molecular products are typically used – P425, and PT250.

Epoxy Resins
The terminal hydroxy groups of polypropylene glycols are epoxidized to produce resins used in coating applications where flexibility is a requirement.