PP thermoforming

Polypropylene thermoforming

Q: Can polypropylene be thermoformed?

Yes, though PP has a narrow forming window that requires precise, zoned heating and sag control. Our lines are tuned for PP, and because we extrude the sheet we control the exact grade and melt behaviour.

Q: What is PP barrier sheet used for?

Our PP BarrierPro co-extrudes an EVOH oxygen barrier into the sheet, cutting O₂ transmission below 0.30 cc/m²/day. It extends the shelf life of oxygen-sensitive foods — sauces, dairy, baby food, ready meals — while staying microwavable.

Q: Is PP microwave and hot-fill safe?

Yes — PP tolerates higher temperatures than most commodity thermoplastics, making it suitable for microwavable containers and hot-fill packaging. Food-contact grades are FDA-compliant.

Polypropylene is the lightweight, chemical-resistant, food-safe choice for packaging and industrial parts — including microwavable and barrier applications. PP has a narrow forming window that trips up many thermoformers; our lines are tuned for it, and we extrude PP and PP-EVOH barrier sheet in-house.

Food-safe & microwavableEVOH barrier gradesChemical resistantLiving-hinge capable

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Why PP, and why it needs a tuned line

PP is low-density (lighter parts, lower freight), chemically inert, fatigue-resistant enough for living hinges, and safe for hot-fill and microwave use. Its catch is a narrow thermoforming window — it goes from too stiff to too molten quickly — so consistent forming demands precise zoned heating and sag control. We run PP routinely on lines set up for exactly this.

Standard and barrier PP

We form general-purpose PP for food containers, trays and industrial parts, and PP BarrierPro — a co-extruded structure with an EVOH oxygen barrier (O₂ transmission below 0.30 cc/m²/day) for extended-shelf-life food packaging like sauces, dairy and ready meals. Recyclable mono-material PP solutions are available where brands want to avoid multi-material laminates.

Parts we thermoform in PP

Food containers, trays & lidsMicrowavable & hot-fill packagingExtended-shelf-life barrier packsAutomotive interior componentsChemical liners & tanksHousewares & luggageDairy, sauce & ready-meal tubsReusable & returnable packaging

PP grades & datasheets

PP General Purpose PP BarrierPro (EVOH)

Full technical specifications for each grade are below.

Grade specifications & datasheets

Typical properties as printed on the StellarEx technical datasheet for each grade — download the full TDS or request a quote.

StellarEx PP General Purpose

Food-safe, microwavable polypropylene — lightweight, chemical- and fatigue-resistant.

Food-safe and microwavable
Excellent chemical & fatigue resistance
Living-hinge capability
Low density — lightweight parts
Recyclable mono-material solutions

Applications: Food containers, trays & lids · Microwavable & hot-fill packaging · Automotive interior components · Industrial liners & tanks · Luggage & housewares

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Typical properties (as printed on TDS)

Density	0.90 g/cm³	ASTM D792
Tensile strength @ yield	27 MPa	ASTM D638
Elongation @ yield	11 %	ASTM D638
Flexural modulus	1000 MPa	ASTM D790A
Notched Izod @ 23 °C	200 J/m	ASTM D256
Melt flow rate (MFR)	1.8 g/10 min	ASTM D1238
HDT @ 455 kPa	95 °C	ASTM D648

Thickness: 0.3 – 10 mm · Width: wide-web · custom

BarrierPP + EVOH

StellarEx PP BarrierPro

Extended shelf-life EVOH barrier sheet for food-safe thermoforming.

EVOH barrier layer — 3–8% of thickness
Ultra-low O₂ transmission < 0.30 cc/m²/day
Ultra-low moisture transmission < 0.20 g/m²/day
Microwavable and hot-fill capable
Recyclable · dual-tone available · food-grade

Applications: Sweets, confectionery & dry fruits · Dairy — flavoured milk, cheese, desserts · Bakery, snacks & ready-to-eat meals · Soups, sauces & baby food · Fresh produce & juice packaging

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Typical properties (as printed on TDS)

Density	0.92 ± 0.02 g/cm³	ASTM D792
O₂ transmission rate	< 0.30 cc/m²/day	ASTM D3985
Water vapour transmission	< 0.20 g/m²/day	ASTM F1249
Gloss @ 20°	up to 90%	ASTM D2457
EVOH layer	3 – 8%	—
Surface tension	≥ 44 dyne/cm	ASTM D2578

Thickness: 600 – 1800 µm · Width: rolls 800 – 900 mm

See all StellarEx grades on the Materials & grades page.

Why Indu for PP thermoforming

In-house sheet extrusion

We extrude the sheet we form — grade, colour and thickness controlled from the pellet, with no outside vendor in the loop.

Largest bed in India

Thin- and thick-gauge lines, including the largest thermoforming bed in the country for oversized parts.

Tooling in 2–4 weeks

Moulds and trim fixtures designed and cut in-house on 5-axis CNC — fast, and cheap to revise.

ISO 9001 & full docs

8-gate inspection with COA, MTC, FAIR and PPAP-level documentation on request.

Frequently asked questions

Can polypropylene be thermoformed?

Yes, though PP has a narrow forming window that requires precise, zoned heating and sag control. Our lines are tuned for PP, and because we extrude the sheet we control the exact grade and melt behaviour.

What is PP barrier sheet used for?

Our PP BarrierPro co-extrudes an EVOH oxygen barrier into the sheet, cutting O₂ transmission below 0.30 cc/m²/day. It extends the shelf life of oxygen-sensitive foods — sauces, dairy, baby food, ready meals — while staying microwavable.

Is PP microwave and hot-fill safe?

Yes — PP tolerates higher temperatures than most commodity thermoplastics, making it suitable for microwavable containers and hot-fill packaging. Food-contact grades are FDA-compliant.

Explore more

Packaging Thermoforming →Vacuum Formed Trays →Materials & Grades →PET & PETG Thermoforming →

Let’s build it

Forming a part in polypropylene?

Send your brief — we reply with the right PP or barrier grade, tooling and a costed quote, usually within 24 hours.

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ISO 9001:2015 certified · Most quotes back within 24 hours