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PVC
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What is PVC ?
History
A Petrochemical Product
How is PVC Made?
PVCs Physical Properties
How is PVC used ?
PVC Converting
PVC for Building & Construction
Health
Transport
Everyday Life
Packaging
Leisure Products
Art & Design
Sustainability
PVC Debate
Eco Profiles & LCA
Recycling in Europe
Industry Responsible Care
VinylPlus
The PVC Industry
ECVM
Trade Associations
Information Sources
Media Centre
Press Releases
Share Share
PVCs Physical Properties - PVC http://www.pvc.org/en/p/pvcs-physical-properties
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Wonderful Vinyl
PVC Today Magazine
Documents Library
Videos
Glossary
PVC Images
What is PVC ?
History
A Petrochemical Product
How is PVC Made?
Vinyl Chloride Monomer (VCM)
The PVC Production Process Explained
PVC Additives
Plasticisers
Health concerns about indoor air quality
Health concerns about Phthalate plasticisers
Stabilisers
Lead Stabilisers
Organotin Stabilisers
Calcium Zinc Stabilisers
Barium Zinc Stabilisers and Related Stabilisers
Cadmium Stabilisers
Stabiliser Fact Tables
PVCs Physical Properties
PVC Strength
Creep Properties
Plasticising
Chemical Resistance
Transparency
Adhesion Properties and Printability
Fire Retardant Properties
Electrical Insulation Characteristics
Weldability
Specific Gravity (Density)
Heat Distortion Temperature (Softening Temperature)
Bleeding and Evaporation of Plasticizers
Property Modification of PVC Products
PVC's Physical Properties
PVC, PE, PP and PS are general purpose plastics. The features of the particular plastic are determined by
its chemical composition and type of molecular structure (molecular formation: crystalline/amorphous
structure)
PVC has an amorphous structure with polar chlorine atoms in the molecular structure. Having chlorine
atoms and the amorphous molecular structure are inseparably related. Although plastics seem very similar
in the context of daily use, PVC has completely different features in terms of performance and functions
compared with olefin plastics which have only carbon and hydrogen atoms in their molecular structures.
Chemical stability is a common feature among substances
containing halogens such as chlorine and fluorine. This
applies to PVC resins, which furthermore possess fire
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retarding properties, durability, and oil/chemical
resistance.
Fire retarding properties
PVC has inherently superior fire retarding properties due
to its chlorine content, even in the absence of fire retardants. For example, the ignition temperature of
PVC is as high as 455C, and is a material with less risk for fire incidents since it is not ignited easily
Furthermore, the heat released in burning is considerably
lower with PVC, when compared with those for PE and
PP. PVC therefore contributes much less to spreading fire
to nearby materials even while burning.
Therefore,
PVC is
very
suitable
for safety reasons in products close to peoples daily lives.
Durability
Under normal conditions of use, the factor most strongly
influencing the durability of a material is resistance to
oxidation by atmospheric oxygen. PVC, having the
molecular structure where the chlorine atom is bound to
every other carbon chain, is highly resistant to oxidative
reactions, and maintains its performance for a long time.
Other general purpose plastics with structures made up
only of carbon and hydrogen are more susceptible to
deterioration by oxidation in extended use conditions
(such as, for example, through repeated recycling).
Measurements on underground 35 year-old PVC pipes
taken by the Japan PVC Pipe & Fittings Association showed no deterioration and the same strength as
new pipes
Research in Germany (60 Jahre Erfahrungen mit Rohrleitungen aus Weichmachfreiem PVC, 1995, KRV)
has shown that soil buried pipes dug up after 60 years of active use when analysed were proven to be fit
for purpose and likely to have a further life expectancy of 50 years! Almost no deterioration was observed
upon recovery of three kinds of automobile exterior accessories (flexible PVC products using plasticisers)
from end-of-life cars after 13 years of use and upon comparison of physical properties with new products.
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The shortened time for thermal decomposition is due to the heat history in the re-converting process, and
can be brought back to that of the original products by adding stabilisers. Recovered products can in fact
be recycled into the same products through re-converting, regardless of whether they are pipes or
automobile parts. The physical properties of these re-converted products are almost the same as with
products made from virgin resin, and there is also no problem upon actual use.
Oil/Chemical resistance
PVC is resistant to acid, alkali and almost all inorganic chemicals. Although PVC swells or dissolves in
aromatic hydrocarbons, ketones, and cyclic ethers, PVC is hard to dissolve in other organic solvents.
Taking advantage of this characteristic, PVC is used in exhaust gas ducts, sheets used in construction,
bottles, tubes and hoses.
Mechanical stability
PVC is a chemically stable material, which shows little change in molecular structure, and also exhibits
little change in its mechanical strength. However, long chain polymers are viscoelastic materials and can
be deformed by continuous application of exterior force, even if the applied force is well below their yield
point. This is called creep deformation. Although PVC is a viscoelastic material, its creep deformation is
very low compared with other plastics due to limited molecular motion at ordinary temperature, in
contrast to PE and PP, which have greater molecular motion in their amorphous sections.
A European study on very early PVC pipes produced from the 1930s to 1950s showed a service life of
50 years and excellent durability characteristics (T
Hulsmann, European Vinyls Corporation, and R Novak
ALPHACAN Omniplast GmbH). More modern PVC
pipes would be expected to last significantly longer
probably up to or in excess of 100 years. Source:
PVC and environmental issues by Tetsuya Makino,
Seikei Kakou (a journal of the Japan Society of Polymer
Processing), Vol.10, No.1 (1998)
Processability and mouldability
The processability of a thermoplastic material depends largely on its melt viscosity. PVC is not suitable for
injection moulding of large sized products, since its melt viscosity is comparatively high. On the other
hand, the viscoelastic behaviour of molten PVC is less dependent on temperature and is stable. Therefore
PVC is suitable for complex shaped extrusion profiling (e.g., housing materials), as well as calendaring of
wide films and sheets (e.g., agricultural films and PVC leather).
The exterior surfaces of PVC products are excellent, and display superior embossing performance -
enabling a wide variety of surface treatments with textures ranging from enamel gloss to the completely
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de-lustred suede. Since PVC is an amorphous plastic with no phase transition, moulded PVC products
have high dimensional accuracy. PVC also exhibits excellent secondary processability in bending
fabrication, welding, high-frequency bonding, and vacuum forming, as well as on-site workability.
Paste resin processing such as slush moulding, screen printing and coating are a convenient processing
techniques that are feasible only with PVC.
These processing methods are used in flooring, wall covering, automobile sealants and undercoating.
Other properties that make PVC versatile
PVC has polar groups (chlorine), and is amorphous, therefore mixes well with various other substances.
The required physical properties of end products (e.g., flexibility, elasticity, impact resistance, anti-fouling,
prevention of microbial growth, anti-mist, fire retarding) can be freely designed through formulation with
plasticisers and various additives, modifiers, and colouring agents. PVC is the only general purpose plastic
that allows free, wide and seamless adjustment of the required physical properties of products such as
flexibility, elasticity, and impact resistance, by adding plasticisers, additives, and modifiers. Since the
physical properties of end products are adjustable through
compounding with additives, only a few types of resin are
required to cover all applications (fibre, rigid and flexible
plastic, rubber, paint, and adhesive). This controllability is
also extremely beneficial for recycling.
Chart_14WEB
The polar groups in PVC contribute to ease of colouring,
printing and adhesion. PVC products do not require
pre-treatment, which enables a wide variety of designs.
PVC is used in various decorative applications taking full
advantage of its superior printability, adhesion properties
and weatherability. Patterns such as wood grain, marble,
and metallic tones are possible. Familiar examples include
wall coverings and floorings, housing materials, furniture,
home electric appliances, or signboards and ads on airplanes, trains, buses and trams.
FAQs
Is the incineration of PVC more expensive than for other types of waste?
Why not make PVC bio-degradable so that it can rot away?
What is the PVC industry doing to stop people deselecting PVC as a material?
Why is PVC still used as a packaging material?
Why do some local authorities still choose to ban PVC if all that industry says is true?
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Focus
PVC Competitiveness
A confirmation that PVC can integrate high technical performance, environmental benefits, as well
as cost advantages comes from a study conducted in three key application areas: windows frames,
flooring and piping.
Key priority : Innovation
PVC industry delegates in Cascais (April 2012) agreed on the fact Innovation has been identified as
the fundamental driving force to increase competitiveness and progress toward sustainability .
Latest news
r 360,000 tonnes of PVC recycled in Europe in 2012, new record for29/04
VinylPlus
Building upon the achievement of Vinyl 2010, the European PVC industry has launched VinylPlus.
Visit the web site
Latest Video
PVC eMagazine
Wonderful Vinyl, the PVC industry newsletter. Subscribe to future issues, add your email address here.
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PVC Construct
PVCs Physical Properties - PVC http://www.pvc.org/en/p/pvcs-physical-properties
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PVCConstruct is a cultural project without any commercial interest. It was born to illustrate the many
ways in which Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) can enhance our daily lives.
Visit the web site
PVC Design
PVCDesign is a cultural project without any commercial interest. It was born to illustrate the many ways
in which PolyVinyl Chloride (PVC) can enhance our daily lives.
Visit the web site
What is PVC ?
History
A Petrochemical Product
How is PVC Made?
PVCs Physical Properties
How is PVC used ?
PVC Converting
PVC for Building & Construction
Health
Transport
Everyday Life
Packaging
Leisure Products
Art & Design
Sustainability
PVC Debate
Eco Profiles & LCA
Recycling in Europe
Industry Responsible Care
VinylPlus
The PVC Industry
ECVM
Trade Associations
Information Sources
Media Centre
Press Releases
Wonderful Vinyl
PVC Today Magazine
Documents Library
Videos
Glossary
PVC Images
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A sustainable choice for construction
creativity and innovation
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Website & Development : Visible.be
What is PVC ?
History
A Petrochemical Product
How is PVC Made?
PVCs Physical Properties
How is PVC used ?
PVC Converting
PVC for Building & Construction
Health
Transport
Everyday Life
Packaging
Leisure Products
Art & Design
Sustainability
PVC Debate
Eco Profiles & LCA
Recycling in Europe
Industry Responsible Care
VinylPlus
The PVC Industry
ECVM
Trade Associations
Information Sources
Media Centre
Press Releases
Wonderful Vinyl
PVC Today Magazine
Documents Library
Videos
Glossary
PVC Images
Sitemap
Contact us
Print this page
FAQs
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