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PVC | Definition, Synthesis, & Uses - Britannica

Author: Evelyn w

Aug. 04, 2025

PVC | Definition, Synthesis, & Uses - Britannica

PVC, a synthetic resin made from the polymerization of vinyl chloride. Second only to polyethylene among the plastics in production and consumption, PVC is used in an enormous range of domestic and industrial products, from raincoats and shower curtains to window frames and indoor plumbing. A lightweight, rigid plastic in its pure form, it is also manufactured in a flexible “plasticized” form.

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Vinyl chloride (CH2=CHCl), also known as chloroethylene, is most often obtained by reacting ethylene with oxygen and hydrogen chloride over a copper catalyst. It is a toxic and carcinogenic gas that is handled under special protective procedures. PVC is made by subjecting vinyl chloride to highly reactive compounds known as free-radical initiators. Under the action of the initiators, the double bond in the vinyl chloride monomers (single-unit molecules) is opened, and one of the resultant single bonds is used to link together thousands of vinyl chloride monomers to form the repeating units of polymers (large, multiple-unit molecules). The chemical structure of the vinyl chloride repeating units is:

PVC was prepared by the French chemist Henri Victor Regnault in and then by the German chemist Eugen Baumann in , but it was not patented until , when another German chemist, Friedrich Heinrich August Klatte, used sunlight to initiate the polymerization of vinyl chloride. Commercial application of the plastic was at first limited by its extreme rigidity; however, in , while trying to dehydrohalogenate PVC in a high-boiling solvent in order to obtain an unsaturated polymer that might bond rubber to metal, Waldo Lunsbury Semon, working for the B.F. Goodrich Company in the United States, produced what is now called plasticized PVC. The discovery of this flexible, inert product was responsible for the commercial success of the polymer. Under the trademark Koroseal, Goodrich made the plastic into shock-absorber seals, electric-wire insulation, and coated cloth products. One of the best-known applications of the plastic was initiated in , when the Union Carbide and Carbon Corporation (later the Union Carbide Corporation) introduced Vinylite, a copolymer of vinyl chloride and vinyl acetate that became the standard material of long-playing phonograph records.

More From Britannica major industrial polymers: Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)

Pure PVC finds application in the construction trades, where its rigidity, strength, and flame resistance are useful in pipes, conduits, siding, window frames, and door frames. It is also blow-molded into clear, transparent bottles. Because of its rigidity, it must be extruded or molded above 100 °C (212 °F)—a temperature high enough to initiate chemical decomposition (in particular, the emission of hydrogen chloride [HCl]). Decomposition can be reduced by the addition of stabilizers, which are mainly compounds of metals such as cadmium, zinc, tin, or lead.

In order to arrive at a product that remains flexible, especially at low temperatures, most PVC is heated and mixed with plasticizers, which are sometimes added in concentrations as high as 50 percent. The most commonly used plasticizer is the compound di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), also known as dioctyl phthalate (DOP). Plasticized PVC is familiar to consumers as floor tile, garden hose, imitation leather upholstery, and shower curtains.

Very fine particles of PVC can be dispersed in plasticizer in excess of the amount used to make plasticized PVC (e.g., 50 percent or more), and this suspension can be heated until the polymer particles dissolve. The resultant fluid, called a plastisol, will remain liquid even after cooling but will solidify into a gel upon reheating. Plastisols can be made into products by being spread on fabric or cast into molds. Flexible gloves can be made by dipping a hand-shaped form into plastisol, and hollow objects such as overshoes can be made by casting plastisol into a mold, pouring off the excess, and solidifying the material remaining on the walls of the mold.

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PVC has been an occasional object of controversy since a link between vinyl chloride monomer and cancer was established in . Environmentalists and health advocates raised concerns over the possible ill effects of exposure to substances such as residual vinyl chloride monomer, hydrogen chloride, organometallic stabilizers, and phthalate plasticizers. Industry officials maintain that these substances are scrupulously controlled and are released from PVC in trace amounts that have not been proved harmful.

PVC has lost its shine – what is PVC and why we need to ban it

PVC has lost its shine – what is PVC and why we need to ban it

What is PVC and what is it made of?  

Vinyl - your first thought might be either records, or flooring. But the truth is more toxic.  

PVC (Polyvinyl chloride) is a type of hard plastic found everywhere around us – in packaging, flooring, pipes, children’s toys and hundreds of other products.  

It is durable and relatively cheap, which is why PVC is one of the most widely used plastics in the world. But the price we pay as a society, due to damages to health and the environment, is steep.  

The core building block of PVC is carcinogenic. In order to make it more bendy, it contains more additives such as phthalates, which are known endocrine disruptors – substances that disrupt the normal hormone function in your body. And when it burns, it can spew noxious dioxins.  

Like PFAS (an infamous group of harmful chemicals), tiny particles of PVC that end up in the environment accumulate and remain present for long periods of time. The impact that this growing mass of toxic plastic could have on us and our environment is huge. That’s why we need to take action now.  

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