PVC(polyvinyl chloride)

by Jan Kolář

PVC is…

• Made from salt (57 per cent) and oil/gas (43 per cent).

• Was first produced commercially in the late 1920s.

Some basic facts about history

• Vinyl chloride, the monomer from which PVC is made, was first synthetised in the laboratory of Justus von Liebig in 1835. PVC itself was synthetised by Baumann in 1872. It was not until the late 1920s that the first commercial production of PVC took place in the USA. Large scale production in Europe followed during the next two decades.

Commercial production (1)

• In simple terms, salt dissolved in water is chemically decomposed by passing an electric current through it. This produces chlorine, caustic soda and hydrogen. The oil or gas is refined and ‘cracked’ to give ethylene.

• When the ethylene and chlorine are combined, the product is ethylene dichloride; this can again be transformed to produce vinyl chloride, the basic building block of polyvinyl chloride or PVC.

Commercial production (2)

• The process of `polymerisation' links together the vinyl chloride molecules to form chains of PVC.

• The PVC produced in this way is in the form of a white powder. This is not used alone, but blended with other ingredients to give formulations for a wide range of products.

PVC today

• Today PVC has become the second largest commodity plastic after polyethylene. World production in 1997 was estimated to be around 23 million tonnes.

Properties

• PVC polymer is chemically stable, neutral and non-toxic.

• PVC's major benefit is its compatibility with many different kinds of additives, making it a highly versatile polymer.

• PVC has excellent electrical insulation properties,good impact strength and weatherproof attributes

Where is PVC used?

PVC in Medical Applications PVC in Transport PVC in Building and Construction PVC in Toys PVC in Consumer Goods and Everyday Life PVC in Packaging PVC in Art and Design