Everything You Need To Know About PVC Plastic

What is Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), and What is it Used For?

Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) is one of the most commonly used thermoplastic polymers worldwide (next to only a few more widely used plastics like PET and P.P.). It is naturally white and very brittle (before the additions of plasticizers) plastic. PVC has been around longer than most plastics, first synthesized in 1872 and commercially produced by B.F. Goodrich Company in the 1920s. By comparison, many other common plastics were first synthesized and commercially viable only in the 1940s and 1950s. It is used most commonly in the construction industry and is also used for signs, healthcare applications, and fiber for clothing. PVC was accidentally discovered twice, once in 1832 by French chemist Henri Victor Regnault, and then rediscovered in 1872 by a German man named Eugene Baumann.

What are the Characteristics of Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)?

Some of the most significant properties of Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) are:

1. Density: PVC is very dense compared to most plastics (specific gravity around 1.4)
2. Economics: PVC is readily available and cheap.
3. Hardness: Rigid PVC ranks well for hardness and durability.
4. Strength: Rigid PVC has excellent tensile strength.

Polyvinyl Chloride is a "thermoplastic" (as opposed to "thermoset") material, which has to do with the way the plastic responds to heat. Thermoplastic materials become liquid at their melting point (a range for PVC between the very low 100 degrees Celsius and higher values like 260 degrees Celsius depending on the additives). A primary useful attribute about thermoplastics is that they can be heated to their melting point, cooled, and reheated again without significant degradation. Instead of burning, thermoplastics like polypropylene liquefy allows them to be easily injection molded and then subsequently recycled. By contrast, thermoset plastics can only be heated once (typically during the injection molding process). The first heating causes thermoset materials to set (similar to a 2-part epoxy), resulting in a chemical change that cannot be reversed. If you tried to heat a thermoset plastic to a high temperature a second time, it would only burn. This characteristic makes thermoset materials poor candidates for recycling.

Why is Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) used so often?

PVC offers a wide variety of applications and advantages across multiple industries in both its rigid and flexible forms. In particular, Rigid PVC possesses a high density for plastic, making it extremely hard and generally incredibly strong. It is also readily available and economical, which, combined with most plastics' long-lasting characteristics, makes it an easy choice for many industrial applications like construction.

PVC has an extremely durable nature and lightweight, making it an attractive material for construction, plumbing, and other industrial applications. Additionally, its high chlorine content makes the material fire-resistant, another reason why it has gained such popularity across various industries.

What are the Advantages of Polyvinyl Chloride?

PVC provides industries with a series of critical advantages that have cemented its place as one of the most popular and widely used plastics on the market. These advantages include:

1. Polyvinyl Chloride is readily available and relatively inexpensive.
2. Polyvinyl Chloride is very dense and thus very hard and resists impact deformation very well relative to other plastics.
3. Polyvinyl Chloride has outstanding tensile strength.
4. Polyvinyl Chloride is very resistant to chemicals and alkalis.

PVC's advantages helped solidify its place as one of the most used plastics around the world. However, even though it's widely effective and popular, you have to consider some factors when using the material.