Everything you need to know about PVC

One of the most popular polymers in the world, the chances are you’ve used PVC without even realising. 

Due to its versatile nature, PVC is used extensively across a broad range of industrial, technical, and everyday applications. including widespread use in building, transport, packaging, electrical/electronic, and healthcare applications. 

In its natural form, it is white and brittle, however, when plasticised the result is a more amenable, flexible material which is how it became popularised across so many industries – this is the final step in the process seen below and what Polyblend prides itself on supplying. 

How is PVC made? 

PVC is made from the polymerisation of vinyl chloride; the process consists of 5 steps: 

• The extraction of salt and hydrocarbon resources. 
• The production of ethylene and chlorine from these resources. 
• The combination of chlorine and ethylene to make the vinyl chloride monomer (VCM). 
• The polymerisation of VCM to make poly-vinyl-chloride (PVC).
• The blending of PVC polymer with other materials to produce different formulations, providing a wide range of physical properties.

Why is Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) used so often? 

Alongside its fluidity, PVC readily available and very economical which, combined with the long-lasting characteristics of most plastics, make plastisol an easy choice for many industrial PVC applications such as the flooring industry. 

Polyblend has the equipment, technical expertise and measurement systems in place to ensure that customer specified requirements are achieved each and every time. 

Useful Attributes of PVC? 

A major 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 liquefy, which allows them to be easily recycled. 

By contrast, thermoset plastics can only be heated once. This characteristic makes thermoset materials poor candidates for recycling. Polyblend puts sustainability first wherever possible, as a result, we focus our efforts on thermoplastics to maximise the possibility of recycling. 

What are the Advantages of Polyvinyl Chloride? 

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 very good tensile strength.
4. Polyvinyl Chloride is very resistant to chemicals and alkalies. 

What are the Disadvantages of Polyvinyl Chloride? 

1. Polyvinyl Chloride has very poor heat stability. For this reason, additives which stabilise the material at higher temperatures are typically added to the material during production.
2. Polyvinyl Chloride emits toxic fumes when melted and/or subject to a fire. 

Ultimately, flexible PVC made from Plastisol is a great material. It has a unique blend of qualities that make it particularly useful across a multitude of industries. 

If you’re looking for a reliable, high-quality manufacturer that you can depend on for deliverables, Polyblend is experienced and highly skilled in the production of PVC.