What is Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)?
PVC is Polyvinyl Chloride. This is a plastic that has the following chemical formula: CH2=CHCl (see picture on the right). Plastic covers a wide rage of synthetic or semi-synthetic polymerization products (i.e. long-chain carbon-based “organic” molecules) which name refers to the fact that in their semi-liquid state they are malleable, or have the property of plasticity. PVC is a thermoplastic material. Thermoplastic materials are those that can be melted again and again. These materials can be heated to a certain temperature and will harden again as they cool. After the First World War, there were a boom in new forms of plastics due to the improvements in the chemical technology sector, including “polystyrene (PS)” and “polyvinyl chloride (PVC)”, developed by the I.G. Farben company of Germany. Nowadays, PVC is commonly used in the construction sector, for example in window frames and shutters, pipe cabling and coating, etc.. Vinyl is also used in gramophone records, and that is why w
PVC (polyvinyl chloride or simply “vinyl”) is a rigid plastic commonly used in the construction industry for siding, pipe, plumbing, and conduit. When plasticizers (like phthalates) are added to make it softer and more flexible, it is used in apparel, upholstery, flexible tubing and flooring. It is identified by #3 on or near the bottom of bottles and containers. The production of PVC produces dioxins and PCB’s as by-products and PVC is rarely recycled. It has been called “the most toxic plastic” and PVC workers have suffered high rates of cancers. For more information, see the U.S. Green Building Council commentary “Update on the Environmental Health Impacts of Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) as a Building Material: Evidence from 2000-2004”, the Wikipedia definition for polyvinyl chloride, the Greenpeace campaign against PVC, the Mindfully.org Article “PVC: A Health Hazard From Production through Disposal”, and the CHEC Article “PVC: The Most Toxic Plastic”.
