Polyvinyl chloride
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), poly(chloroethanediyl) – is a plastic produced by polymerization of a monomer – vinyl chloride.
It has thermoplastic properties, and is characterized by high mechanical strength and resistance to many solvents.
Polyvinyl chloride is marketed in Poland as polwinit (a softened, or plasticized and granulated PVC) and polwiplast (a PVC footwear granulate). One variety of the latter contains about 50% pure polyvinyl chloride, 40% plasticizer - e.g. di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate or a mixture of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate with dibutyl phthalate, isoamyl phthalate and di(2-ethylhexyl) adipate.
Types
Depending on the manufacturing method applied, this material can take the following forms:
• hard PVC
• plasticized PVC
and depending on technology:
• suspension PVC
• emulsion PVC