Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)

Polyvinylchloride (PVC) is a flexible or rigid material that is chemically nonreactive. PVC has a broad range of applications from highly volume construction related products to simple electronic wire insulation and coatings. Rigid PVC is easily machined, heat formed, welded, and even solvent cemented. PVC can also be machined using standard metal working tools and finished to close tolerances and finishes without great difficulty. PVC accepts paint and performs well under most silk-screening processes. PVC resins are normally mixed with other additives such as impact modifiers and stabilizers, providing hundreds of PVC based materials with a variety of engineering properties. There are three broad classifications for rigid PVC compounds: Type I, Type II, and CPVC. Type II varies from Type I due to greater impact values and lower chemical resistance. CPVC has greater high temperature resistance. These materials are considered "unplasticized" because they are less flexible than the plasticized formulations. Type I, II, and CPVC are normally available in rod, sheet, slab, pipe, tabular bar, fittings, and valves. "Plasticized" PVC is available in sheet, film, fittings, flexible tubing, and pipe. Properties include high strength, economical, dimensional stability, good weather resistance, colorability, flexible or rigid, chemically inert, ease of fabrication, tasteless, odorless, non-toxic, and good electrical properties