What is "polyvinyl chloride"

n. A thermoplastic resin produced by the polymerization of vinyl chloride; used as an electrical insulator and in many other applications. Can be compounded into flexible and rigid forms through the use of plasticizers, stabilizers, fillers and other modifiers.

n. a polymer of vinyl chloride used instead of rubber in electric cables [syn: PVC]

Elongation at break

20–40%

Notch test

2–5 kJ/m

Glass Transition Temperature

82 °C

Melting point

100–260 °C

Effective heat of combustion

17.95 MJ/kg

Specific heat (c)

0.9 kJ/(kg·K)

Water absorption (ASTM)

0.04–0.4

Dielectric Breakdown Voltage

40 MV/m

Polyvinyl chloride, more correctly but unusually poly(vinyl chloride), commonly abbreviated PVC, is the third-most widely produced synthetic plastic polymer, after polyethylene and polypropylene.

PVC comes in two basic forms: rigid (sometimes abbreviated as RPVC) and flexible. The rigid form of PVC is used in construction for pipe and in profile applications such as doors and windows. It is also used for bottles, other non-food packaging, and cards (such as bank or membership cards). It can be made softer and more flexible by the addition of plasticizers, the most widely used being phthalates. In this form, it is also used in plumbing, electrical cable insulation, imitation leather, signage, inflatable products, and many applications where it replaces rubber.

Pure poly (vinyl chloride) is a white, brittle solid. It is insoluble in alcohol but slightly soluble in tetrahydrofuran.