Ice-water quenching technique for polypropylene

The use of polypropylene as a material in orthotics and prosthetics has gained widespread acceptance over the last several years. However, our basic knowledge of this material has not kept pace with its use in the design of orthoses and prostheses. This report is an attempt to make the practitioner aware of possible variations in the properties of polypropylene as a function of processing conditions. Specifically, the processing variable investigated in this report has been a rapid rate of cooling for polypropylene devices during fabrication. A description of the fabrication procedure is preceded by a brief summary of some principles of polymer science relevant to polypropylene processing.