Polyvinyl chloride facts for kids

Polyvinyl chloride (often called PVC or just vinyl) is a very common type of plastic polymer. It's the third most produced plastic in the world, right after polyethylene and polypropylene. About 40 million tons of PVC are made each year!

PVC comes in two main types:

• Rigid PVC (sometimes called RPVC or uPVC): This type is hard and stiff. It's used a lot in building things like pipes, doors, and window frames. You can also find it in bottles, food packaging, and cards (like bank cards).
• Flexible PVC: This type is made softer by adding special chemicals called plasticizers. It's used for things like electrical cable insulation, fake leather, flooring, signs, and even inflatable toys. It can also be mixed with cotton or linen to make canvas.

Pure PVC is a white, solid material that can be a bit brittle. It doesn't dissolve in alcohol but can slightly dissolve in a chemical called tetrahydrofuran.

The handles of the Victorinox Swiss Army knives are made of PVC.

This symbol means the plastic is PVC, which helps with recycling.

How PVC Was Discovered

PVC was first made by accident in 1872 by a German scientist named Eugen Baumann. He found a white solid inside a flask of vinyl chloride that had been left in the sunlight.

Later, in the early 1900s, two other chemists, Ivan Ostromislensky from Russia and Fritz Klatte from Germany, tried to use PVC to make products. But it was too stiff and brittle, so it was hard to work with.

Then, in 1926, an American scientist named Waldo Semon and the B.F. Goodrich Company found a way to make PVC more flexible. They did this by mixing it with different additives. This made PVC much easier to use, and it quickly became very popular for many products.

What PVC Is Used For

PVC is a strong but light plastic that is used in many different ways.

PVC Pipes: Carrying Water and More

PVC is often used for sewer pipes because it's cheap, resists chemicals, and is easy to connect.

About half of all the PVC made each year is used to make pipes for cities and industries. In the U.S., PVC pipes are used for 66% of water pipes and 75% of sewer pipes.

PVC pipes are popular because they are:

• Lightweight: Easy to move and install.
• Low cost: Cheaper than many other materials.
• Low maintenance: They don't need much looking after.
• Chemical resistant: They don't get damaged by many chemicals.

Larger PVC pipes are often joined together using a special rubber seal. Smaller pipes can be glued together with special "solvent cements" or even melted together using heat to create very strong, leak-proof connections.

Since 1982, a special type of PVC called chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC) has been used for water pipes in homes, especially for hot water.

Electric Cables: Keeping Wires Safe

PVC is often used as the insulation around electrical cables. This PVC needs to be flexible. It helps keep the electricity inside the wires and prevents shocks.

When PVC-coated wires catch fire, they can release hydrogen chloride fumes. The chlorine in PVC helps to slow down the fire. However, in places where smoke is a big danger (like tunnels), other types of cable insulation are sometimes used that produce less smoke and harmful fumes.

Construction: Building Strong Homes

A modern house with PVC gutters, window frames, and decorative parts.

PVC is a very common plastic used in building. When no plasticizers are added, it's called uPVC (unplasticized polyvinyl chloride) or rigid PVC.

uPVC is popular in construction because it needs very little care. It's used for:

• Window frames and sills: It doesn't rot and can stand up to bad weather.
• Fascia and siding: These are parts of the outside of a house.
• Plumbing and drainage: It has mostly replaced cast iron for waste pipes, drainpipes, and gutters.

uPVC is known for being very strong against chemicals, sunlight, and water damage.

Double glazed units often use uPVC frames.

Signs: Bright and Colorful Displays

PVC is made into flat sheets of different thicknesses and colors. These sheets can be expanded to make them thicker without adding much weight or cost.

Flexible PVC is also used to make thin, colorful, or clear films with sticky backs. These films are often called "vinyl." They are cut by computers or printed on large printers. These sheets and films are used to make many kinds of commercial signage, like car body stripes and stickers.

Clothing: Fashion and Protection

Black PVC trousers

PVC fabric is water-resistant. This makes it great for clothes that need to stand up to weather, like coats, skiing gear, shoes, and sports bags.

PVC fabric is also used in special clothing, sometimes to look like artificial leather or just for its unique look. PVC clothing is often seen in Goth, Punk, and alternative fashion styles. It's cheaper than rubber, leather, and latex, which it can imitate.

Healthcare: Keeping Us Healthy

PVC is very important in healthcare for making single-use medical items. The two main uses are for flexible containers and tubes:

• Containers: Used for blood, blood parts, urine collection, or ostomy products.
• Tubing: Used for taking blood, giving blood, catheters, and other medical equipment.

About one-third of all plastic medical devices are made from PVC in Europe. PVC has been used for over 50 years in these areas because it's affordable, clear, lightweight, soft, strong, doesn't kink easily, can be sterilized, and is safe to use with the body.

Flooring: Durable and Easy to Clean

Flexible PVC flooring is inexpensive and used in many buildings, including homes, hospitals, offices, and schools. It can have cool 3D designs protected by a clear top layer. A middle foam layer makes it comfortable and safe to walk on. The smooth, tough surface also prevents dirt from building up, which helps stop germs from growing in places that need to be very clean, like hospitals.

Wire Rope: Strong and Protected

PVC can be put over wire rope and aircraft cables. This makes the wire rope easier to handle, protects it from rust and wear, and can even be colored for better visibility. You can find PVC-coated wire rope in many different industries and places, both indoors and outdoors.

PVC has also been used for many other everyday products. One of its first big uses was for making vinyl records. More recently, it's used for wall coverings, greenhouses, home playgrounds, toys, truck covers, and ceiling tiles.

Because PVC piping is cheaper than metals, it's sometimes used to make musical instruments, especially for fun or for rare instruments like the contrabass flute.

Images for kids

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  Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate was a common plasticizer for PVC, but newer, safer ones are now used.

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  A vinyl record, made from PVC.

See also

In Spanish: Policloruro de vinilo para niños