What is PVC?- Haining Longtime Industry Co., Ltd.

PVC or polyvinyl chloride, most commonly known as vinyl on the market, is a thermoplastic material composed of carbon (43%) and chlorine (57%). PVC is also the third most widely used plastic type in the world. It's found in bags, toys, sports equipment, bottles, and wallpaper, just to name a few. In fact, PVC is second only to PET and PP plastics in terms of its use in consumer products. The common feature of PVC is that the structure is brittle and the color is naturally white.

In fact, PVC itself has been around for a long time since 1872. It became a commercial product in the 1920s, produced by the BF Goodrich Company. During this period, PVC plastic was mainly used in the construction industry and in the production of signs (streets, walls, etc.) and components for healthcare equipment.

There are two main types of PVC, the first being a rigid, unplasticized polymer, and the more flexible form of plastic we see in products made by PVC decorative film manufacturers. The flexible PVC form is made by plasticizing the material, making it more "bend" due to the addition of diisononyl phthalate (DINP) to its structure. Flexible PVC is often used in construction—especially as insulation for plastic electrical wiring, floors, and as a replacement for plastic. As for tougher PVC, you can find it used to produce pipes, frames and more.

The popularity of PVC in consumer product manufacturing stems from its relatively low production cost, good resistance to degradation, good durability, and excellent tensile strength because it is made of plastic. PVC is also recyclable and has a resin identification code of 3.

PVC is a material classified as a thermoplastic. Thermoplastic is a term that describes how this particular plastic reacts to heat. In the case of PVC material - it responds to heat (usually at the 100 degrees Celsius mark) by liquefying. Of course, the melting point of PVC also varies depending on the additives used in the manufacturing process, as some PVC materials have a melting point of around 260 degrees Celsius. An important aspect about PVC and thermoplastic materials in general is that it can be remelted, cooled and reheated without reducing the quality of the material in any significant way. Thermoplastics are not flammable, but melt into liquid form, which makes them a viable material for injection molding. This also gives PVC its highly recyclable properties.