Technical information (PVC)
About PVC - The Basics:
PVC is a chlorinated hydrocarbon polymer and its basic building blocks are chlorine, carbon and hydrogen. These elements are obtained from two hydrocarbons, sea salt or sodium chloride (NaCl) and crude oil or natural gas.
Most of us use PVC every day. Around our homes, it is used in a wide range of products such as pipes for our fresh water, drainage pipes, floor coverings, window frames, cabling, toys, pool membranes, kitchen cabinetry, wall cladding, medical drainage tubing and food packaging.
PVC is equally useful at work where you will find PVC in furniture, stationery and in the equipment we use. Not surprisingly, PVC is the one of the most common plastics in the world. Not only can PVC be made into rigid or flexible products it can be made as either a coloured or transparent material.
PVC is typically the material of choice in the building and construction sector because of its high performance, affordability and environmental properties.
PVC Properties:
A strong performer: Light in weight - PVC performs well in lightweight construction systems where durability and strength is needed such as large area roofing membranes. Its lightweight also facilitates transportation, handling on-site and safe construction.
Slow to ignite: Rigid PVC is inherently difficult to ignite because of the chlorine from which the polymer is made. It stops burning once the source of heat is removed. Compared to other common plastic, PVC performs well in terms of lower combustibility, lower flammability, less flame propagation and less heat release.
PVC saves money: Low cost is an important consideration with this high performance material. Ease of installation compared to alternatives, greater durability and lower maintenance requirements also make PVC competitive on a life cycle cost basis.
Safe buildings: PVC has been in wide scale use for more than 50 years. It is one of the most researched and thoroughly tested building materials in the world. It meets international standards for safety and health for the applications for which it is used.
Protecting our properties: PVC is a very good electrical insulator and, therefore, an excellent material to use for applications such as insulation sheathing for electric cables. With low conductivity, it is an effective heat insulator, providing thermal efficiency in applications such as window and door profiles.
Useful products: PVC is versatile. The physical properties of PVC allow designers a high degree of freedom as they design new products and develop solutions using PVC. PVC can be cut, shaped, welded, coloured and joined easily in a variety of styles.
Designed for life: Many PVC products are designed to last for decades.
PVC Touching Lives:
Healthcare
The ability of PVC medical devices to withstand various sterilization methods makes it the product of choice for blood bags, intravenous tubing, masks, surgical gloves, and many other similar applications. The hygiene requirements for flooring and wall coverings at medical facilities place enormous demands on materials used. PVC has proven to be ideal for these applications, allowing for ease of disinfection which enables these facilities to offer life-saving services in hygienic conditions.
Building & Construction
Many PVC products find use in applications requiring durability, such as windows profiles, pipes & fittings, flooring, decking, power and telecommunication cables, electrical conduit, cladding, trunking, etc. Its superior toughness, fire resistance, chemical and corrosion resistance, long life-span and superior cost-performance ratio make PVC the ideal material for industrial applications.
Packaging
PVC continues to be widely used in cling film, shrink wrap, bottles and blister packaging, among others, based on its packaging properties. It exhibits excellent barrier properties which are vital for preservation of foodstuff, while its superior chemical resistance enables use in various pharmaceutical and other industrial packaging applications.
Automobiles
From high temperature wire harnesses to door panels, dashboards and upholstery, PVC has maintained presence in various automotive components despite the onslaught by other competitive materials. The introduction of heavy metal free stabilizer systems has placed PVC in a favourable position to meet stringent environmental and safety standards of the automotive industry
Consumer Products
PVC’s versatility enables use in many consumer products, including umbrellas, toys, shower curtains, footwear, gloves, banners and coated fabric. This versatility affords designers limitless opportunities to create fashion and artistic items of convenience to today’s modern society. Few other materials can lay claim to such variety of consumer applications as PVC.