$re = '/.*?(?<=x)\s*?(\d*\.?\d+).*/m';
$str = '2 x 3 kg PPG etc
bob 2 x 3 kg PPG etc
1.5x1.5kgPPGetcFred
BobFred1.5x1.5kgPPGetcFred
1.5 x 2.3 kg PPG Fred Bob
bob Fred 1.5 x 2.3 kg PPG Fred Bob
';
$subst = "\1";
$result = preg_replace($re, $subst, $str);
echo "The result of the substitution is ".$result;
Please keep in mind that these code samples are automatically generated and are not guaranteed to work. If you find any syntax errors, feel free to submit a bug report. For a full regex reference for PHP, please visit: http://php.net/manual/en/ref.pcre.php