In the early stages, polypropylene production yielded only low molecular weight, paper-like products, which were non-crystalline compounds and had no practical value. In 1954, Ziegler and Natta invented the Ziegler-Natta catalyst, which enabled the production of crystalline polypropylene with high stereoregularity, known as isotactic polypropylene or homopolymers. This breakthrough research opened new directions in the field of polymerization and laid the foundation for the large-scale industrial production of polypropylene and its widespread application in plastic and fiber manufacturing.

In 1957, Montecatini, an Italian company, first achieved the industrial production of polypropylene. From 1958 to 1960, the company applied polypropylene to fiber production, developing a polypropylene fiber called Meraklon. Subsequently, the United States and Canada also began producing it.

Since 1964, polypropylene film split fibers for bundling have been developed, and these have been processed into textile fibers and carpet yarns, among other products, through film spinning.

In the 1970s, advancements in short-staple spinning technology and equipment improved the production process of polypropylene fibers. Concurrently, expanded continuous filament began to be used in the carpet industry. Today, 90% of global carpet backings and 25% of carpet face yarns are made from polypropylene fibers.

Since the 1980s, the development of polypropylene and new technologies for manufacturing polypropylene fibers, especially the invention of metallocene catalysts, has significantly improved the quality of polypropylene resins. This enhancement in isotacticity (up to 99.5% isotacticity) has greatly improved the inherent quality of polypropylene fibers. In the mid-1980s, polypropylene fine denier fibers replaced some cotton fibers in textile fabrics and nonwoven materials. With the advancement of one-step BCF spinning machines, air texturing machines, composite spinning machines, and the emergence and rapid development of nonwovens, the applications of polypropylene fibers in decorative and industrial uses have been further expanded. Additionally, research and development activities on polypropylene fibers are quite active worldwide, and the popularization and perfection of differentiated fiber production technologies have greatly expanded the application scope of polypropylene fibers.