Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)

Description

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) comes in two basic forms:

• rigid (sometimes abbreviated as RPVC) and
• flexible.

Rigid PVC

Rigid PVC is used in manufacturing:

• pipe;
• profile applications such as doors and windows;
• bottles;
• non-food packaging;
• food-covering sheets, and;
• cards (such as bank or membership cards);

Flexible PVC

It can be made softer and more flexible by the addition of plasticizers, the most widely used being phthalates. In this form, it is also used in

• plumbing,
• electrical cable insulation,
• imitation leather,
• flooring,
• signage,
• phonograph records,
• inflatable products, and
• other applications where it replaces rubber.
• With cotton or linen, it is used in the production of the canvas.