The history of PVC

Man has worked hard from the earliest times to develop synthetic materials Alchemists tried to develop new materials Alchemists tried to develop new materialswhich would offer benefits not found in the natural products around him.



PVC is one of the oldest synthetic materials with the longest history in industrial production. Its early history is of multiple and accidental discovery in different places at different times as well as unsuccessful quests for commercial application.


Henry Victor Regnault discovered PVC

Henry Victor Regnault discovered PVC
Early researchers accidentally discovered PVC on at least two occasions in the 19th century. The first, in 1838, was by the French physicist and chemist Henri Victor Regnault and the second in 1872 by the German Eugen Baumann. On both occasions, the polymer appeared as a white solid inside flasks of the newly discovered vinyl chloride gas that had been left exposed to sunlight. The material was difficult to work with and no one mastered the challenge of commercial applications.

In 1913, German inventor Friedrich Heinrich August Klatte took out a patent on PVC. His method used polymerization of vinyl chloride with sunlight.
The most significant breakthrough occurred in the United States when the company BFGoodrich hired the industrial scientist Waldo Semon to develop a synthetic replacement for the increasingly costly natural rubber. His experiments again produced polyvinyl chloride. However, the material was threatened by the recession in the 1920s and it was under threat of abandonment that Semon conceived the idea of PVC as a water resistant coating for fabrics. Sales took off quickly with a rapidly expanding product range. Demand accelerated again during the Second World War, when PVC quickly replaced traditional material to insulate wiring on military ships.

During the 1950's many more companies started to produce PVC and volumes increased dramatically around the world. Developers quickly found further, innovative uses through the decade and refined methods to enhance durability, opening the door to applications in the building trades. By the middle of the 20th century, five companies were producing PVC, and ground-breaking uses for PVC, or 'vinyl' as it is also known, continued to be found during the 1960s. A vinyl-based latex was used on inflatable structures and fabric coatings, and at the same time, methods for improving PVC's durability were developed, allowing applications in the building industry.

PVC products rapidly became essential to the construction industry; the plastic's resistance to light, chemicals and corrosion made it the best option for building applications. Improvement made to the materials' resistance to extreme temperatures, allowed for PVC to be transporting water to thousands of homes and industries. By the 1980s, twenty companies were producing PVC. Today, PVC is the third largest-selling commodity plastic in the world after polyethylene and polypropylene. PVC's low cost, excellent durability and processability, make it the material of choice for dozens of industries such as health care,IT, transport, textiles and construction.

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Why is PVC still used as a packaging material?

PVC was one of the first polymers used in food packaging applications that replaced many traditional materials such as glass as well as various forms of card and paper. Some of the key reasons for its success compared to traditional materials are highlighted below:

PVC is lightweight compared with glass, with the added benefit of reduced transport emissions
It is shatter resistant which was seen as an immense benefit as it would reduce the number of accidents in the home and outside.
PVC has excellent organoleptic properties which means that it imparts no taint or taste to foodstuffs
PVC has excellent barrier properties for the preservation of food
Innovative designs and product shapes can be achieved and all with excellent clarity and transparency

Compared to other thermoplastics PVC offers some unique properties and these include:

A wider range of additives can be used in PVC compared to any other polymer (this is due to its polar nature). So PVC in packaging can have a diverse range of applications from rigid thermoformed sheet – used in sandwich cartons, through to soft cling film – used in the preservation of food
It can be formed into products requiring complex shapes such as those with blown handles PVC is very easy to print on. Excellent cost/performance ratio


PVC is fully approved for use in food contact applications throughout the world. Many of the additives currently used in PVC are already on European incomplete additives lists such as those set out in EC Directive 2002/72 and later amendments.

There are various options for PVC packaging at end-of-life. Like any other thermoplastic, PVC can be mechanically recycled and recycling programmes have been established throughout Europe for both bottles and trays. Other options are possible.

In summary, PVC packaging plays an important role in the protection of a variety of foodstuffs, from specialised tamper-proof packaging to commodity food display trays.

Ceasing the use of PVC in packaging would reduce the freedom of choice to the consumer with no added benefit to the environment.

How is PVC used?

PVC is one of the most used plastic materials in the world. At global level, demand for PVC exceeds 35 million tonnes per annum and it is in constant growth (+5% on global average), with higher growth rates in the developing countries.

In Europe (EU-27), the production of PVC products – including exports – totals about 8 million tonnes per year. European PVC resin consumption totals some 6.5 million tonnes per year, or 15% of all plastics use in Europe, with an average growth of 2-3% per year.



PVC is a more economic material
PVC products make life safer, more comfortable and more pleasurable. And, because PVC has an excellent ratio of economic cost to performance, it allows people of all income levels access to these important benefits. The diversity of PVC applications challenges the imagination. In everyday life, they are all around us, from construction profiles to medical devices, from roofing membranes to credit cards, from children's toys to pipes for water and gas. Few other materials are as versatile or able to fulfil such demanding specifications. In this way, PVC facilitates creativity and innovation, making new possibilities.

PVC underpins safety
Wire and cables sheathed with PVC prevent potentially fatal electrical accidents. In hospitals around the world PVC medical tubing – which does not break or kink – delivers fluids and medicines to the sick. Car components which use very strong PVC can reduce the risk of any injuries being caused in case of an accident. Most PVC products are long lasting – up to and over 60 years. These applications are reliable throughout their service lives and cut down vastly on maintenance or repair. Modern cars, for example, last many years longer simply because PVC protects the underside from water and corrosion.

PVC enhances our lives
Functional performance is by no means the whole story. PVC has a distinguished role in beauty and aesthetics. In fashion, furniture and all types of indoor and outdoor accessories, PVC opens up functional and design opportunities that are both visually striking and fundamentally practical. In short, people everywhere benefit from this material. Sometimes invisible but always reliable, PVC products make the difference when it counts.

What makes PVC important?

Key properties

Strong and lightweight
PVC's abrasion resistance, light weight, good mechanical strength and toughness are key technical advantages for its use in building and construction applications.

Easy to install
PVC can be cut, shaped, welded and joined easily in a variety of styles.

Durable
PVC is resistant to weathering, rotting, chemical corrosion, shock and abrasion. It is therefore the preferred choice for a range of customers for many different long-life and outdoor products. In fact, medium and long-term applications account for some 85 per cent of PVC production in the building and construction sector. For example, it is estimated that PVC pipes will have potential in-service lives of up to 100 years. In other applications such as window profiles and cable insulation, studies indicate that over 60 per cent of them will have working lives of over 40 years.

Cost-effective
PVC has been a popular material for construction applications for decades due to its physical and technical properties which provide excellent cost-performance advantages. As a material it is very competitive in terms of price, this value is also enhanced by the properties such as its durability, lifespan and low maintenance. A recent study about the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of PVC products in window profiles, pipes and flooring showed that PVC is generally the most cost effective option

Environmental impact
Excellent thermal insulation of PVC windows, cladding and roofing helps to significantly increase the energy efficiency of buildings. PVC piping systems help prevent leakage and their exceptionally smooth surfaces reduce the cost of pumping fluids. PVC products require comparatively less energy and resource use during production, as well as in conversion to finished products. They are lighter than those made of concrete, iron or steel requiring less energy (and thus fewer emissions) to transport and install. In lifecycle analyses and independent studies, PVC's environmental impact has been found to be favourable when compared with other manufactured materials used for construction. PVC products are also so durable that frequent replacement is unnecessary. And, as a thermoplastic, at the end of one use, PVC is relatively straightforward to separate from other plastics and then can be easily recycled into new applications. Well-established schemes ensure that a large proportion of PVC used in construction applications, such as pipes, window profiles and flooring are now recycled at the end of their useful lives. And additional recycling facilities for waste PVC construction materials are being developed each year across Europe. If not recycled, it is possible to recover energy from PVC by incineration. PVC can also safely be deposited in landfill if no recovery solution is available.

Safe
PVC is a non-toxic inert polymer. It is a socially valuable resource that has been used for more than half a century. It is also the world's most researched and thoroughly tested plastic. It meets all international standards for safety and health for both the products and applications for which it is used.