PVC Introduction
PVC is a plastic material that is utilised for a variety of applications due to its range of beneficial qualities. It has a large array of uses ranging from clothing to electrical cables, something that is possible due to its great versatility and physical properties. In addition to its wide array of applications, one of the greatest advantages of using PVC is the fact that it is fairly cheap to produce and purchase, allowing it to be utilised on a mass scale without having to worry too much about the price. While alternative materials may cost far more to acquire and to implement for a certain purpose, PVC is not only a more cost-efficient option but it is often far easier to implement practically due to its great flexibility and lightweight nature.
PVC is a very common presence at both industrial and commercial properties due to its array of uses. Many industrial and commercial organisations may utilise PVC in order to create strip doors or crash doors, while a residential property owner may use PVC as the material for their flooring as it is very easy to clean and relatively cheap. These are just a few of the potential uses of PVC as a material, giving you an idea of just how versatile the material really is. However, given the fact that PVC is such an everyday presence in our lives, it is natural for people to wonder what exactly PVC is and how it is created. Perhaps more importantly, it is important to ensure that PVC is entirely safe and is not going to have a harmful influence on the atmosphere or on the environment as a whole.
What precisely is PVC?
PVC stands for Polyvinyl chloride and is an extremely popular material utilised around the globe for a variety of purposes. Due to its range of qualities such as flexibility and cost-efficiency, it is often utilised as an alternative to other materials as it can be cheaper to acquire yet still offers all of the same basic functions. As well as this, it can offer many additional benefits when compared to alternative materials that can in fact make it a far better choice. For example, PVC is often utilised in pipe systems as it is much more resistant to corrosion. Because metals are highly vulnerable corrosion over time, using PVC to create a pipe system is naturally the wiser choice as it will be able to remain intact over a number of years and negates the need for constant maintenance and replacement work which can prove extremely costly.
How exactly is it made?
The process of creating PVC is fairly complex from a chemical and technical standpoint (Find out more here: http://www.pvc.org/en/p/how-is-pvc-made), so it is not something that your average person is going to be able to accomplish on their own. It consists of the polymerisation of vinyl chloride which is a combination of ethylene and chlorine. These two raw materials are extracted from natural gas by thermal cracking and then converted. Because of the highly technical nature of this process and the fact that many safety precautions must be taken, this process tends to be done on a large scale with specialist equipment.
Why PVC is so beneficial
Given that it is a fairly lengthy and complex process to actually create PVC, there must be a reason why organisations are willing to go through this process. The reason lies in the fact that PVC is such a versatile material that offers such a beneficial range of physical qualities, allowing it to be used for almost endless purposes. It is perhaps this flexibility and elasticity that makes it so desirable as it allows people to shape it to their own purposes, yet despite its flexibility it is still able to maintain its strength and durability. Whereas there can often be a trade-off between flexibility and durability, PVC breaks these rules by offering both qualities in abundance.
As well as these qualities, PVC is also known for its longevity which ensures that it can continue to perform its functions for many years without deteriorating in condition and requiring replacement or repair work. While some of the more common materials such as wood and metal require regular maintenance work and often need to be replaced, PVC tends to be much more resistant to many common problems such as damp and corrosion. Not only does this allow people to rest easy knowing that they can depend on PVC, but it will also save you a lot of money in the long run as you will not need to replace or repair it on a regular basis.
What can we use PVC for?
Given the fact that its primary qualities are to offer versatility and strength together, PVC can be used for a wide array of purposes both on a small and large scale. Many commercial organisations utilise PVC in the form of PVC strip doors or PVC curtains, something that can simultaneously create a physical barrier separating the interior from the outside atmosphere yet also allowing uninterrupted and unobstructed access into and out of the property. PVC is also commonly used in products that are required to be water resistant as PVC itself is resistant to water, so it can often be used to create items of clothing such as coats and boots.
One of the other great benefits of utilising PVC is its cost efficiency, meaning that it can often be the standout choice for certain purposes where a material is required in large quantities. This is one of the primary reasons why PVC is often utilised for flooring – it is capable of covering large spaces of ground without it actually costing too much and its water resistant and laminated nature also makes it the perfect material to clean easily. In all, given its cost efficiency and unique combination of versatility and durability, PVC has such a great potential which makes it one of the most common materials around the world.