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What happen when polypropylene becomes brittle?

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shvcko99:
What happens when commonly available polypropylene become brittle? I mean, what will it look like when it becomes brittle? Will it break as tiny insignificant powders or torn into smaller part but easily observable?

I'm asking this question because I have been freezing foods in freezer with PP containers probably well below 0ºC but I only happen to know that Polypropylene will become brittle below 0ºC. If it will become powder than it is very dangerous to the food but if it will be just torn into parts then I'll keep freezing food with PP without too much worries

Borek:
It won't turn into a powder just because, and it is safe for food storage.

shvcko99:

--- Quote from: Borek on May 12, 2022, 06:23:01 AM ---It won't turn into a powder just because, and it is safe for food storage.

--- End quote ---

so it will just break into significant parts in case of being brittle, am I correct

I know that it will not leach, but if it could break into powders then chances are I'll not be able to clean it up and have it eaten with normal food

Borek:

--- Quote from: shvcko99 on May 12, 2022, 03:09:58 PM ---so it will just break into significant parts in case of being brittle, am I correct
--- End quote ---

Yep, that's what I would expect.

Not that I had it ever break, I believe I saw PP container with a small crack, but still in one piece.

Enthalpy:
Here you mean "brittle" due to cold? Neither do I expect anything to happen. This embrittlement occurs over a huge temperature range, so some arbitrary limit must tell a definite temperature limit. Time doesn't make it worse.

Just try it: take a bag from the freezer, swiftly fold it, it doesn't break. It would need rather liquid nitrogen (-196°C) to break when bent because of cold.

Embrittlement due to sunlight, as opposed, does reduce plastic bags to tiny chips when you touch them. I saw it in an attic after 3 decades.

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