By: Chakila
Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) was first made 'unintentionally' in 1872 by German chemist Eugen Baumann. He exposed vinyl chloride gas sealed in a tube to sunlight and produced a white solid called PVC. PVC is known as “Vinyl” or “Polyvinyl Chloride” with the chemical formula C2H3Cl is an economical and versatile thermoplastic polymer. More than 75% of the total PVC is used in industrial applications and especially the building and construction sector where PVC products have long life span of over 10-years (Plepiene et al., 2021).
PVC resin is produced in powder form, which is resistant to oxidation and degradation, allowing for a long storage period. Various additives and pigments are then added to the powder during the processing stage, producing a blend that is converted into various PVC products. Two common forms of PVC rigid and stabilizer PVC and plasticized PVC, each tailored to specific requirement and purposes.
1. Rigid PVC: Referred to as uPVC (unplasticized PVC) or RPVC (rigid PVC) and is made by polimerizing vinyl chloride monomers without the addition of plasticizers. It is commonly used in construction and industrial settings.
2. Plasticized PVC: Incorporates plasticizers into the PVC polymer matrix during production. It is commonly found in wires and cable applications.
Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) is a versatile thermoplastic polymer renowned for its wide-ranging applications across industries. PVC has a long-life span, need low maintenance and a good electrical property so it is categorised as good insulation material. It is also resistant to weathering, chemical rotting, corrosion, shock, and abrasion, and resistant to all inorganic chemicals. However, it also has some limitations such as poor heat stability, properties can change with time, due to plasticizer migration, flexible PVC has lower chemical resistance than rigid PVC and for rigid PVC has low continuous service temperature of 50°C. Even though it has limitations, the advantages possessed by PVC have succeeded in making it used for various applications, from construction to healthcare.
