Plastic flooring has been a popular choice for nurseries and baby pig sections of farrowing crates. But not all plastic flooring panels are the same. That's because not all plastic is the same. There are literally thousands of different types of plastics, each with its own unique chemical structure and properties.

Some plastics are used to create thin, highly pliable materials used for food containers or wrappers. Others are less pliable but rubbery enough for a baby's toy. Some plastic materials are extremely resistant to corrosive chemicals. Others have supreme strength for resistance during impact.

The polypropylene used for Farmweld's flooring panels was chosen for its strength and resistance to chemicals and cold.

When Farmweld first designed its orange flooring panels, the company knew it had to select a plastic material that would perform well in the relatively harsh environment of a swine facility. The material would have to withstand cold temperatures and exposure to corrosive agents, such as feed and manure. Strength and flexion were also very important. The plastic had to be rugged enough to handle the antics of pigs and the constant shifting of weight as pigs move around the pen, not to mention the impact from a dropped feeder or gate.

Farmweld pinpointed a specific type of crystalline polypropylene. Polypropylene is a thermoplastic resin made up of molecules formed by a long straight chain of hydrogen and carbon atoms. Crystalline polypropylene means that there's a specific sequence of atoms within the molecules.

According to plastics expert Dr. Dave Martin, crystalline polypropylene is one of the most fascinating materials available today. Martin, who is an associate professor of materials science and engineering, macromolecular science and engineering and biomedical engineering at the University of Michigan, says crystalline polypropylene can be used for a wide array of products because of an important discovery made a few years back.

Dr. Joe Connor, Carthage, IL, says more porous plastic materials tend to be less durable and more prone to harboring disease.

Scientists discovered a new process for catalyzing the hydrogens and carbons making up polypropylene molecules in order to manipulate their exact structure and obtain the properties needed. This discovery has lead to "unprecedented control over the architecture" of polypropylene and gives rise to a wide variety of practical applications, says Martin. "One of the nicest things about polypropylene is that it can be changed to get the properties you need," he says, Many other materials, such as polyethylene, are less able to be specifically targeted for certain properties, according to Martin.

Mike Tippery is a technical engineer who works with commercial plastics used in manufacturing. He says the exact material used in Farmweld's flooring was chosen for its excellent strength and resistance to chemicals and cold. "We know it gets knocked around a bit so it has to be durable, even in cold weather," says Tippery. He says the material also is one that can be molded with great precision. It flows evenly into a molding tool, without the need for foaming agents or extenders. This means the end result is a product that's less porous and less prone to irregularities.

According to veterinary consultant Joseph Connor, Carthage (IL) Veterinary Service, porosity has an impact on wear life and cleanliness in a swine facility. "A less dense compound is more likely to harbor disease organisms," says Connor. "More porous materials also tend to be less durable," he says. That translates into more panels breaking and cracking. He also suggests higher porosity materials tend to expand more during warm weather, causing more shifting of beam supports and less overall strength of the flooring.