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Polyvinyl chloride

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	Polyvinyl chloride
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	Topics Polyvinyl chloride Topic Home Polyvinyl chloride, commonly abbreviated PVC, is a widely used thermoplasticThermoplastic A thermoplastic is a material that is plastic or deformable, melts to a liquid when heated and freezes to a brittle, glassy ... polymerPolymer Summary Polymer is a term used to describe molecules consisting of structural units and a large number of repeating units connected ... . In terms of revenueRevenue Overview Revenue is a U.S. business term for the amount of money that a company receives from its activities in a given period, mostl... generated, it is one of the most valuable products of the chemical industryChemical industry The chemical industry refers to an industry involved in the production of chemicals.... . Around the world, over 50% of PVC manufactured is used in construction. As a building material, PVC is cheap, durable, and easy to assemble. In recent years, PVC has been replacing traditional building materialBuilding material Building material is any material which is used for a construction purpose.... s such as woodWood Wood is derived from woody plants, notably trees but also shrubs.... , concreteConcrete In construction, concrete is a composite building material made from the combination of aggregate and a cement binder.... and clayClay Clay is a term used to describe a group of hydrous aluminium phyllosilicate minerals , that are typically less than 2 μm... in many areas. Polyvinyl chloride is used in a variety of applications. As a hard plastic, it is used as vinyl sidingVinyl siding Vinyl siding is house siding made of vinyl or similar plastics.... , magnetic stripe cardMagnetic stripe card A magnetic stripe card is a type of card capable of storing data by modifying the magnetism of tiny iron-based magnetic part... s, window profiles, gramophone recordGramophone record A gramophone record is an analogue sound recording medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed modulated spiral groov... s (which is the source of the term vinyl records), pipeFacts About Pipe (material) Pipe is a hollow cylinder of material.... , plumbingPlumbing Plumbing, from the Latin for lead , is the skilled trade of working with pipes and tubing for potable water systems and drai... and conduitConduit A conduit is a general term for a means of conveying something from one location to another or between persons.... fixtures. The material is often used in Plastic Pressure Pipe SystemsPlastic pressure pipe systems Plastic pressure pipe systems are used for the conveyance of drinking water, waste water, chemicals, heating and cooling flu... for pipelinesPipeline transport Summary Pipeline transport is a transportation of goods through a pipe.... in the waterWater supply A water supply system provides water to the locations that need it.... and sewerSewage Sewage is the liquid waste produced by humans which typically contains washing water, laundry waste, faeces, urine and other... industries because of its inexpensive nature and flexibility. PVC pipe plumbing is typically white, as opposed to ABSAcrylonitrile butadiene styrene Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, or ABS, is a common thermoplastic used to make light, rigid, molded products such as ... , which is commonly available in grey and black, as well as white. It can be made softer and more flexible by the addition of plasticizerPlasticizer Plasticizers are additives that soften the materials they are added to.... s, the most widely-used being phthalatesPhthalates Phthalates, or phthalate esters, are a group of chemical compounds that are mainly used as plasticizers.... . In this form, it is used in clothingClothing Clothing is defined, in its broadest sense, as coverings for the torso and limbs as well as coverings for the hands , feet ... and upholsteryUpholstery Upholstery is the work of providing furniture, especially seats, with padding, springs, webbing, and fabric or leather cover... , and to make flexible hoses and tubing, flooringVinyl composition tiles Vinyl composition tile is a finished flooring material used primarily in commercial and institutional applications.... , to roofing membranes, and electrical cable insulation. It is also commonly used in figurines. Preparation Polyvinyl chloride is produced by polymerization of the monomerMonomer In chemistry, a monomer is a small molecule that may become chemically bonded to other monomers to form a polymer.... vinyl chlorideVinyl chloride Vinyl chloride, also known as chloroethene in IUPAC nomenclature, is an important industrial chemical chiefly used to ... , as shown. Since about 57% of its mass is chlorineChlorine Chlorine , is the chemical element with atomic number 17 and symbol Cl.... , creating a given mass of PVC requires less petroleumPetroleum Overview Petroleum or crude oil is a black, dark brown or greenish liquid found in porous rock formations in the earth.... than many other polymers. History Polyvinyl chloride was accidentally discovered on at least two different occasions in the 19th century, first in 1835 by Henri Victor RegnaultHenri Victor Regnault Henri Victor Regnault was a French chemist and physicist best known for his careful measurements of the thermal properties o... and in 1872 by Eugen BaumannEugen Baumann Eugen Baumann was a German chemist.... . On both occasions, the polymerPolymer Polymer is a term used to describe molecules consisting of structural units and a large number of repeating units connected ... appeared as a white solid inside flasks of vinyl chlorideVinyl chloride Vinyl chloride, also known as chloroethene in IUPAC nomenclature, is an important industrial chemical chiefly used to ... that had been left exposed to sunlight. In the early 20th century, the Russian chemist Ivan Ostromislensky and Fritz KlatteFritz Klatte Fritz Klatte was a German chemist and the discoverer of polyvinyl acetate, with German patent for its preparation from acety... of the German chemical company Griesheim-Elektron both attempted to use PVC (polyvinyl chloride) in commercial products, but difficulties in processing the rigid, sometimes brittle polymer blocked their efforts. In 1926, Waldo SemonWaldo Semon Waldo Lonsbury Semon was a renowned American inventor born in Demopolis, Alabama.... and the B.F. Goodrich Company developed a method to plasticizePlasticity (physics) In physics and materials science, plasticity is a property of a material to undergo a non-reversible change of shape in res... PVC by blending it with various additives. The result was a more flexible and more easily-processed material that soon achieved widespread commercial use. Applications Electric wires PVC is commonly used as the insulation on electric wires; the plastic used for this purpose needs to be plasticizedFacts About Plasticizer Plasticizers are additives that soften the materials they are added to.... . In a fire, PVC-coated wires can form HClHCL HCL or HCl can stand for:* Hairy cell leukemia, an uncommon and slowly progressing B cell leukemia... fumes; the chlorine serves to scavenge free radicals and is the source of the material's fire retardanceFire retardant A fire retardant is a substance that helps to delay or prevent combustion.... . While HCl fumes can also pose a health hazard in their own right, HCl dissolves in moisture and breaks down onto surfaces, particularly in areas where the air is cool enough to breathe, and is not available for inhalation. Frequently in applications where smoke is a major hazard (notably in tunnels) PVC-free LSOHLow Smoke Zero Halogen Low smoke zero halogen is a type of cable jacketing used in the manufacture of industrial and network cabling.... (low-smoke, zero-halogenHalogen Summary The halogens are a chemical series.... ) cable insulation is preferred. PVC insulation may be eaten or degraded by mice, termites, antechinusAntechinus *Antechinus* is a genus of dasyurid marsupial that is indiginous to Australia and New Guinea.... and cockatooCockatoo A cockatoo is any of the 21 bird species belonging to the family *Cacatuidae.... s. The applicable building codeBuilding code A building code* is a set of rules that specify the minimum acceptable level of safety for constructed objects such as buildi... should be consulted to determine the type of electrical wires approved for the intended use. Pipes Polyvinyl chloride is also widely used for producing pipes. In the water distribution market it accounts for 66 percent of the market in the US, and in sanitary sewer pipe applications, it accounts for 75 percent. Its light weight, high strength, and low reactivity make it particularly well-suited to this purpose. In addition, PVC pipes can be fused together using various solvent cements, creating permanent joints that are virtually impervious to leakage. Despite PVC's many advantages, in cases where very high strength or ease of disassembly is necessary, metal pipes are still preferred. In February 2007, the California Building Standards Code was updated to approve the use of chlorinated polyvinyl chlorideChlorinated polyvinyl chloride Chlorinated polyvinyl chloride is a thermoplastic produced by chlorination of polyvinyl chloride resin.... (CPVC) pipe for use in residential water supply piping systems. CPVC has been a nationally-accepted material in the US since 1982; however, California has only permitted its use on a limited basis since 2001. The Department of Housing and Community Development prepared and certified an Environmental Impact Report resulting in a recommendation that the Commission adopt and approve the use of CPVC. The Commission's vote was unanimous and CPVC has been placed in the 2007 California Plumbing Code. Portable Electronic Accessories PVC is finding increased use as a composite for the production of accessories or housings for portable electronics. Through a fusing process, it can adopt cleaning properties possessed by materials such as wool or cotton which can absorb dust particles and bacteria. Its inherent ability to absorb particles from the LCD screen and its form fitting characteristics make it effective. Signs In flat sheet form, polyvinyl chloride is formed in a variety of thicknesses and colors. As flat sheets, PVC is often expanded to create voids in the interior of the material, providing additional thickness without additional weight and cost. Sheets are cut using saw and rotary cutting equipment (see CNCCNC The abbreviation CNC stands for Computer Numerical Control, and refers specifically to a computer "controller" that re... ). Plasticized PVC is also used to produce thin, colored, or clear, adhesive-backed films referred to simply as vinyl. These films are typically cut on a computer-controlled plotterPlotter A plotter is a vector graphics printing device that connects to a computer.... or printed in a wide-format printerWide-format printer Wide-format printers are generally accepted to be any printer with a print width over 24".... . These sheets and films are used to produce a wide variety of commercial signageCommercial signage Commercial signage identifies a business or similar entity, and attracts customers.... products and markings on vehicles. Unplasticized polyvinyl chloride (uPVC) uPVC or Rigid PVC is often used in the building industry as a low-maintenance material, particularly in the UKUnited Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a country and sovereign state that lies off the northwest coast... , and in the USA where it is known as vinyl, or vinyl sidingVinyl siding Vinyl siding is house siding made of vinyl or similar plastics.... .. The material comes in a range of colors and finishes, including a photo-effect wood finish, and is used as a substitute for painted wood, mostly for window frameWindow Summary ----A window is an opening in an otherwise solid and opaque surface through which light and, sometimes, air can pass.... s and sillSill Sill may refer to:Sill , a tabular mass of igneous rock that has been intruded laterally between layers of older rock... s when installing double glazingInsulated glazing Insulated glazing unit* is a piece of glazing consisting of two or more layers of glazing separated by a spacer along the edg... in new buildings, or to replace older single glazed windows. It has many other uses including fasciaFacts About Fascia (architecture) Fascia is a term which generally describes any vertical surface which spans across the top of columns or across the top of a... , and sidingSiding Siding is the outer covering of a house meant to shed water and protect from the effects of weather.... or weatherboardingWeatherboarding Overview In British usage, weatherboarding is the cladding or siding of a house consisting of long thin boards that overlap one anoth... . The same material has almost entirely replaced the use of cast ironFacts About Cast iron Cast iron usually refers to grey cast iron, but can mean any of a group of iron-based alloys containing more than 2% carbon.... for plumbingPlumbing Plumbing, from the Latin for lead , is the skilled trade of working with pipes and tubing for potable water systems and drai... and drainageFacts About Drainage Drainage is the natural or artificial removal of surface and sub-surface water from a given area.... , being used for waste pipes, drainpipes, gutterRain gutter A rain gutter is a narrow channel, or trough, forming the component of a roof system which collects and diverts rainwater s... s and downpipes. Due to environmental concernsPolyvinyl chloride Polyvinyl chloride, commonly abbreviated PVC, is a widely-used plastic.... use of PVC is discouraged by some local authorities in countries such as GermanyGermany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in central Europe.... and The Netherlands. This concerns both flexible PVC and rigid uPVC as not only the plasticizers in PVC are seen as a problem but also the emissions from manufacturing and disposal. The use of modern impact modifiers offer great stability. The issues of migration and brittleness of the PVC compound are overcome. Health and safety Phthalate plasticizers Many vinyl products contain additional chemicals to change the chemical consistency of the product. Some of these additional chemicals called additiveAdditive Additive may refer to:* Additive function, a function which preserves addition... s can leach out of vinyl products. PlasticizerPlasticizer Summary Plasticizers are additives that soften the materials they are added to.... s that must be added to make PVC flexible have been an additive of particular concern. Because soft PVC toys have been made for babies for years, there are concerns that these additives leach out of soft toys into the mouths of the children chewing on them. Additionally, adult sex toySex toy A sex toy is any object or device that is primarily used in facilitating human sexual pleasure.... s have been demonstrated to leach significant additives. In January 2006, the European Union placed a ban on six types of phthalate softeners, including DEHP, used in toys. In the USA most companies have voluntarily stopped manufacturing PVC toys with DEHP and in 2003 the US Consumer Product Safety Commission denied a petition for a ban on PVC toys made with an alternative plasticizer, DINP. In April 2006, the European Chemicals Bureau of the European CommissionEuropean Commission The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union.... published an assessment of DINP which found risk "unlikely" for children and newborns. Vinyl IV bags used in neo-natal intensive care units have also been shown to leach DEHP. In a draft guidance paper published in September 2002, the US FDA recognizes that many medical devices with PVC containing DEHP are not used in ways that result in significant human exposure to the chemical. However, FDA is suggesting that manufacturers consider eliminating the use of DEHP in certain devices that can result in high aggregate exposures for sensitive patient populations such as neonates. Other vinyl products, including car interiors, shower curtains, flooring, initially release chemical gases into the airFacts About Earth's atmosphere Earth's atmosphere is a layer of gases surrounding the planet Earth and retained by the Earth's gravity.... . Some studies indicate that this outgassingOutgassing Outgassing is the slow release of a gas that was trapped, frozen, absorbed or adsorbed in some material.... 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. In 2004, a joint Swedish-Danish research team found a statistical association between allergies in children and indoor air levels of DEHP and BBzP, which is used in vinyl flooring. 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. In November 2005, one of the largest hospital networks in the U.S., Catholic Healthcare WestCatholic Healthcare West Catholic Healthcare West is a California not-for-profit public benefit corporation that operates hospitals in California, A... , signed a contract with B.Braun for vinyl-free intravenous bags and tubing. According to the in Falls Church, VA, which helps to coordinate a "precautionary" " ", several major corporations including MicrosoftMicrosoft company_name = Microsoft Corporation\| company_logo = ... , Wal-MartWal-Mart Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , an American public corporation, founded by Sam Walton in 1962, first incorporated on October 31, 196... , and Kaiser PermanenteKaiser Permanente Kaiser Permanente is an integrated health maintenance organization, based in Oakland, California, founded in 1945 by industr... from products and packaging in 2005. Even Target is reducing its sale of items with PVC. (http://besafenet.com/pvc/newsreleases/target_to_reduce_use.htm) The FDA Paper titled "Safety Assessment of Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP)Released from PVC Medical Devices" states that [3.2.1.3] Critically ill or injured patients may be at increased risk of developing adverse health effects from DEHP, not only by virtue of increased exposure, relative to the general population, but also because of the physiological and pharmacodynamic changes that occur in these patients, compared to healthy individuals. In 2008, The European Union's Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks (SCENIHR) reviewed the safety of DEHP in medical devices. states that certain medical procedures used in high risk patients result in a significant exposure to DEHP and concludes there is still a reason for having some concerns about the exposure of prematurely born male babies to medical devices containing DEHP. The Committee said there are some alternative plasticisers available for which there is sufficient toxicological data to indicate a lower hazard compared to DEHP but added that the functionality of these plasticisers should be assessed before they can be used as an alternative for DEHP in PVC medical devices. Dioxins The environmentalist group GreenpeaceGreenpeace Summary Greenpeace is an international environmental organization founded in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in 1971.... has advocated the global phase-out of PVC because they claim dioxinDioxin Dioxin is the popular name for the family of halogenated organic compounds, the most common consisting of polychlorinated di... is produced as a byproduct of vinyl chlorideVinyl chloride Vinyl chloride, also known as chloroethene in IUPAC nomenclature, is an important industrial chemical chiefly used to ... manufacture and from incineration of waste PVC in domestic garbage. The European Industry, however, asserts that it has improved production processes to minimize dioxin emissions. Also, scientific tests wherein municipal refuse containing several known concentrations of PVC was burned in a commercial-scale incinerator showed no relationship between the PVC content of the waste and dioxin emissions. (36,37) PVC produces HCl upon combustion (almost quantitatively related to its chlorine content). Extensive studies in Europe indicate that the chlorine found in emitted dioxins is not derived from HCl in the flue gases. Instead, most dioxins arise in the condensed solid phase by the reaction of inorganic chlorides with graphitic structures in char-containing ash particles. Copper acts as a catalyst for these reactions. (38) Dioxins are a global health threat because they persist in the environment and can travel long distances. At very low levels, near those to which the general population is exposed, dioxins have been linked to immune system suppression, reproductive disorders, a variety of cancers, and endometriosisEndometriosis Endometriosis is a common medical condition affecting an estimated 89 million women of reproductive age around the world.... . According to a 1994 report by the British firm, ICI Chemicals & Polymers Ltd., "It has been known since the publication of a paper in 1989 that these oxychlorination reactions [used to make vinyl chloride and some chlorinated solvents] generate polychlorinated dibenzodioxins (PCDDs) and dibenzofurans (PCDFs). The reactions include all of the ingredients and conditions necessary to form PCDD/PCDFs.... It is difficult to see how any of these conditions could be modified so as to prevent PCDD/PCDF formation without seriously impairing the reaction for which the process is designed." In other words, dioxins are an undesirable byproduct of producing vinyl chloride and eliminating the production of dioxins while maintaining the oxychlorination reaction may be difficult. Dioxins created by vinyl chloride production are released by on-site incinerators, flares, boilers, wastewater treatment systems and even in trace quantities in vinyl resins. The US EPA estimate of dioxin releases from the PVC industry was 13 grams TEQ in 1995, or less than 0.5% of the total dioxin emissions in the US; by 2002, PVC industry dioxin emissions had been further reduced by 23%. The largest well-quantified source of dioxin in the US EPA inventory of dioxin sources is barrel burning of household waste. Studies of household waste burning indicate consistent increases in dioxin generation with increasing PVC concentrations. According to the EPA dioxin inventory, landfill fireLandfill fire A landfill fire occurs when waste disposed of in a landfill ignites and spreads.... s are likely to represent an even larger source of dioxin to the environment. A survey of international studies consistently identifies high dioxin concentrations in areas affected by open waste burning and a study that looked at the homologue pattern found the sample with the highest dioxin concentration was "typical for the pyrolysis of PVC". Other EU studies indicate that PVC likely "accounts for the overwhelming majority of chlorine that is available for dioxin formation during landfill fires." The next largest sources of dioxin in the EPA inventory are medical and municipal waste incinerators. Studies have shown a clear correlation between dioxin formation and chloride content and indicate that PVC is a significant contributor to the formation of both dioxin and PCB in incinerators. In February 2007, the Technical and Scientific Advisory Committee of the US Green Building Council (USGBC) released its report on a PVC avoidance related materials credit for the LEED Green Building Rating system. The report concludes that "no single material shows up as the best across all the human health and environmental impact categories, nor as the worst" but that the "risk of dioxin emissions puts PVC consistently among the worst materials for human health impacts." Bans The State of California is currently considering a bill that would ban the use of PVC in consumer packaging due to the threats it poses to human and environmental health and its effect on the recycling stream. Recycling The symbol, or 'SPI codeResin identification code The symbols in the table below belong to the SPI resin identification coding system, developed by the American Society of th... ', for polyvinyl chloride developed by the Society of the Plastics IndustrySociety of the Plastics Industry Founded in 1937, The Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc., is the trade association representing one of the largest manufa... so that items can be labeled for easy recycling is: The UnicodeUnicode Unicode is an industry standard designed to allow text and symbols from all of the writing systems of the world to be consis... character for this symbol is U+2675 (HTML character referenceNumeric character reference A numeric character reference is a common markup construct used in SGML and other SGML-based markup languages such as HTML a... ♵). Post-consumer PVC is not typically recycled due to the prohibitive cost of regrinding and recompounding the resin compared to the cost of virgin (unrecycled) resin. Some PVC manufacturers have placed vinyl recycling programs into action, recycling both manufacturing waste back into their products, as well as post consumer PVC construction materials to reduce the load on landfills. The thermal depolymerizationThermal depolymerization Overview Thermal depolymerization is a process for the reduction of complex organic materials into light crude oil.... process can safely and efficiently convert PVC into fuel and minerals, according to the company that developed it. It is not yet in widespread use. A new process of PVC Recycling is being developed in Europe called Texiloop. This process is based on a technology already applied industrially in Europe and Japan, called Vinyloop, which consists of recovering PVC plastic from composite materials through dissolution and precipitation. It strives to be a closed loop system, recycling its key solvent and hopefully making PVC a future technical nutrient. See also Chlorinated polyvinyl chlorideChlorinated polyvinyl chloride Chlorinated polyvinyl chloride is a thermoplastic produced by chlorination of polyvinyl chloride resin.... Plastic Pressure Pipe SystemsPlastic pressure pipe systems Plastic pressure pipe systems are used for the conveyance of drinking water, waste water, chemicals, heating and cooling flu... Polyvinylidene chloridePolyvinylidene chloride Polyvinylidene chloride is a polymer derived from vinylidene chloride.... Polyvinyl fluoridePolyvinyl fluoride Summary Polyvinyl fluoride or -n- can be found in things like raincoats, solar panels, metal sheeting, and flammability lowering coa... Polyvinylidene fluoridePolyvinylidene fluoride PolyVinylidine DiFluoride, or PVDF is a highly non-reactive and pure thermoplastic fluoropolymer.... CyberskinCyberskin CyberSkin™ is the brand-name of a soft material that is intended to emulate the feel of human skin.... PVC recycling Plastic recyclingPlastic recycling Plastic recycling is the process of recovering scrap or waste plastics and reprocessing the material into useful products.... Movies Blue VinylBlue Vinyl *Blue Vinyl* is a 2002 documentary film directed by Daniel B.... (2002). Directed by Daniel B. Gold and Judith Helfand. Learn more about it at Sam Suds and the Case of PVC, the Poison Plastic (2006). Watch it at An Overview of the Benefits of Vinyl (2006) by Dr. Patrick Moore, founding member of Greenpeace and former Director of Greenpeace International. See it at External links - more detailed referenced information on health issues associated with PVC life cycle. "Vinyl is all around us, but no other plastic poses such direct environmental and human health risks." "PVC – Toxic Plastic"