Page 42 - Plastics News October 2024
P. 42
FEATURE NEWS
Inside Materials – PVC
The secret lies in its exceptional cost-perfor-
mance ratio, a critical factor in the modern in-
dustry. PVC offers cost-effectiveness and excels
in high resistance, good insulation, low weight,
durability, and flame retardance. Moreover, it
comes in various forms, including plasticized or
flexible PVC (PVC-P), unplasticized or rigid PVC
(UPVC), chlorinated PVC, molecularly oriented
PVC (PVC-O), and modified PVC (PVC-M), mak-
ing it an incredibly versatile material. Among
these, flexible and rigid PVC are the most widely
recognized and used variants.
Versatile Processing and Product Applications
Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) drives in-
novation across industries due to
its properties like exceptional cost-
performance ratio, versatility, and
sustainability.
VC is the third most widely used plastic
globally, surpassed only by polyethylene
P(PE) and polypropylene (PP). In 2022, an-
alysts valued the PVC market at $68.96 billion,
and they project it will reach $95.88 billion by
Manufacturers process PVC using techniques
2030. But why does PVC attract so much de-
like extrusion, injection molding, calendaring,
mand?
3D printing, and blow molding. Each method re-
Key Characteristics of PVC quires specific operational conditions, which de-
pend on the type of PVC and the additives used.
This adaptability allows PVC to suit a wide range
of applications. These include pipes for drink-
ing and wastewater, insulated cables and wires,
medical devices, and products like clothing and
footwear.
PVC’s Role in Sustainability
Regarding sustainability, PVC impacts the envi-
ronment less than many other plastics. This is
due to its long lifespan, which ranges from 10 to
42 PLASTICS NEWS October 2024
