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Polyvinyl chloride

Polyvinyl chloride (alternatively: poly(vinyl chloride),[6][7] colloquial: vinyl[8] or polyvinyl; abbreviated: PVC[8]) is the world's third-most widely produced synthetic polymer of plastic (after polyethylene and polypropylene). About 40 million tons of PVC are produced each year.[9]

"PVC" redirects here. For other uses, see PVC (disambiguation).

PVC comes in rigid (sometimes abbreviated as RPVC) and flexible forms. Rigid PVC is used in construction for pipes, doors and windows. It is also used in making plastic bottles, packaging, and bank or membership cards. Adding plasticizers makes PVC softer and more flexible. It is used in plumbing, electrical cable insulation, flooring, signage, phonograph records, inflatable products, and in rubber substitutes.[1][10] With cotton or linen, it is used in the production of canvas.


Polyvinyl chloride is a white, brittle solid. It is insoluble in all solvents but swells in its monomer and some chlorinated hydrocarbon solvents.

Discovery[edit]

PVC was synthesized in 1872 by German chemist Eugen Baumann after extended investigation and experimentation.[11] The polymer appeared as a white solid inside a flask of vinyl chloride that had been left on a shelf sheltered from sunlight for four weeks. In the early 20th century, the Russian chemist Ivan Ostromislensky and Fritz Klatte of the German chemical company Griesheim-Elektron both attempted to use PVC in commercial products, but difficulties in processing the rigid, sometimes brittle polymer thwarted their efforts. Waldo Semon and the B.F. Goodrich Company developed a method in 1926 to plasticize PVC by blending it with various additives,[12] including the use of dibutyl phthalate by 1933.[13]

Health and safety[edit]

Plasticizers[edit]

Phthalates, which are incorporated into plastics as plasticizers, comprise approximately 70% of the US plasticizer market; phthalates are by design not covalently bound to the polymer matrix, which makes them highly susceptible to leaching. Phthalates are contained in plastics at high percentages. For example, they can contribute up to 40% by weight to intravenous medical bags and up to 80% by weight in medical tubing.[46] Vinyl products are pervasive—including toys,[47] car interiors, shower curtains, and flooring—and initially release chemical gases into the air. Some studies indicate that this outgassing of additives may contribute to health complications, and have resulted in a call for banning the use of DEHP on shower curtains, among other uses.[48]


In 2004 a joint Swedish-Danish research team found a statistical association between allergies in children and indoor air levels of DEHP and BBzP (butyl benzyl phthalate), which is used in vinyl flooring.[49] In December 2006, the European Chemicals Bureau of the European Commission released a final draft risk assessment of BBzP which found "no concern" for consumer exposure including exposure to children.[50]

Lead[edit]

Lead compounds had previously been widely added to PVC to improve workability and stability but have been shown to leach into drinking water from PVC pipes.[51]


In Europe the use of lead-based stabilizers has been discontinued. The VinylPlus voluntary commitment which began in 2000, saw European Stabiliser Producers Association (ESPA) members complete the replacement of Pb-based stabilisers in 2015.[52][53]

Sustainability[edit]

The life cycle, sustainability, and appropriateness of PVC are discussed.[76] In Europe, a 2021 VinylPlus Progress Report indicated that 731,461 tonnes PVC were recycled in 2020, a 5% reduction compared to 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[77]

Titow, W. (1984). . London: Elsevier Applied Science Publishers. ISBN 978-0-85334-249-6.

PVC Technology

The European PVC Portal (European Council of Vinyl Manufacturers)

Polyvinyl Chloride International Chemical Safety Cards—CDC/NIOSH

The Vinyl Council of Canada

US Vinyl Institute