Saturday, January 18, 2014

Interesting Facts About Polyvinyl Chloride

By Lenna Stockwell


For those unfamiliar with "polyvinyl chloride," know that this is a kind of thermoplastic which you may commonly call simply PVC. Although often associated with no more than pipes, PVC actually makes up hundreds of other plastic products. Other facts you might find interesting about polyvinyl chloride are enumerated here.

For instance, it might surprise you to know that PVC the type of thermoplastic that is used to create many products other than pipes, such as insulation for electrical cables. It also is used to create what is known as vinyl siding which is used in place of wood on the outside of houses because it is highly durable and resistant to the elements.

You are likely to find plastic signs using PVC and along with it are also some flooring, furnishings, your artificial Christmas trees and yes, sometimes clothing even as it makes great imitations of leather and latex but with a more affordable price. Several heavy-duty winter coats and some ski clothes or equipment for skiing or snowboarding also are created out of it because it can be water resistant.

Vinyl records forming part of your collection are made of PVC too. It is why they are well known as "vinyl" records. Although sometimes other records back in the day were made out of polystyrene, also a thermoplastic. One brand name of polystyrene is Styrofoam, which probably is quite familiar to you. Many thermoforming companies use in creating containers and cups which are custom thermoform. Polycarbonate which is another type of plastic is responsible for the manufacture of Compact Discs. Your DVDs are made out of this thermoplastic as well.

Like several other types of plastic, PVC was discovered accidentally. In truth, it was accidentally discovered on two separate occasions. The first time was by Henri Victor Regnault back in 1835 and then about 40 years later, Eugen Baumann discovered PVC. While both wrote about this interesting polymer, neither patented PVC. A German inventor patented this plastic in 1913, but it was a few years later before the plastic was more or less perfected by Waldo Semon, one of the world's most notable chemists. Semon was hired by B.F. Goodrich to make this plastic quite a bit more useable. Today it is the third most widely used plastic on earth.

PVC can be recycled, just like all thermoplastic - this is one notable fact that people should know about. Even when some cities do not accept thermoplastic in some forms to be tossed into recycling bins, part of the municipal recycling programs of some cities and towns allow you to do so. By checking with the refuse company of your community, you can validate whether you can indeed place PVC items in your recycling bin.




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