Polyvinyl chloride in its pure form is a colourless polymer with a softening temperature of around 80ºC and a density of 1.4 g/cubic centimetres. Polyvinyl chloride plastic is usually mixed with various additives such as softeners, fillers, lubricants and stabilisers, which means that there are a large number of qualities with widely varying characteristics. The characteristics’ variation is highly dependent on the additives, but in purely general terms, polyvinyl chloride plastic has good chemical durability. They have a low softening point, however.
Advantages:
- By mixing in softeners, everything from a soft to a rigid thermoplastic can be obtained.
- High chemical resistance
- Rigid PVC has good dimension stability
- Low price
Limitations:
- Relatively low softening temperature
- Rigid and brittle at low temperatures
- Relatively high density relative to other thermoplastic materials
- Is corroded by ketones. Some qualities are exaggerated or degraded by chlorinated or aromatic hydrocarbons, esters, some aromatic esters or amines and nitro compounds.
Abbreviation:
PVC
Colouring options:
Almost unlimited
Common applications:
Pipes (even chemically resistant), building panels, corrugated sheets, casements, door posts, profiles, insulation material (or wire and the like), shrink hoses, bottles and containers (oil, shampoo, etc.), imitation leather (clothes and luggage), wallpaper, rigid cellular plastic (sandwich elements, insulation), soft cellular plastic (shoe soles, toys, synthetic leather), etc.