Tweets by AmChemistry. Building and Construction About three-quarters of all vinyl produced goes into long-lasting building and construction applications. Siding and Windows Vinyl helps produce siding and window frames that are extremely durable, affordable, and help conserve energy when heating and cooling homes. Healthcare Vinyl plays a critical safety role in dispensing life-saving medicine through IV bags and medical tubing.
Back to Top. Safety Information Many vinyl products are certified to meet special requirements set by regulatory authorities or other standards. Medical and food-contact products must meet U.
Food and Drug Administration regulations. While some new vinyl products have an odor, the small amount of volatile organic compounds VOCs emitted will dissipate quickly through normal ventilation — in fact, tests have shown that the initial odor of vinyl wall coverings dissipates much faster than odors from most paints.
Vinyl is manufactured by polymerizing linking together a chemical called vinyl chloride. Regulations strictly limit levels of vinyl chloride in the workplace and in emissions from manufacturing plants. Manufacturers convert as much vinyl chloride into PVC as possible to make maximum use of this raw material, then apply steam to strip out the remaining vinyl chloride so that levels in the finished vinyl are negligible. Tested, Effective, Affordable Vinyl is largely derived from salt — an abundant and inexpensive resource — and ethylene, which is derived from natural gas.
Are phthalate plasticizers safe? What about heavy metals? Relevant Articles. Most Viewed Latest Content. Each type comes with its own set of advantages and ideal uses for different industries. Flexible PVC can act as electrical cable insulation and a rubber alternative. Rigid PVC has various uses in construction and plumbing, providing a lightweight, cost-effective, and durable material to use.
Polyvinyl Chloride is made from one of three emulsion processes:. Two main issues are working with PVC that makes it relatively problematic and not generally recommended for use by non-professionals. The first is the emission of toxic and corrosive gases when melting the material. This happens to some extent or another while 3D printing, CNC machining, and injection molding. We recommend taking a look at the MSDS data sheets for different chlorinated hydrocarbon gases like chlorobenzene and discussing the production process with a professional manufacturer.
Second is the corrosive nature of PVC. This is problematic when PVC is repeatedly coming into contact with metal nozzles, cutters, or mold tools made from a material other than stainless steel or some other similarly corrosion-resistant metal. Polyvinyl Chloride is available in filament form as a plastic welding rod the material used for welding , but it is not presently retrofit for specific use in 3D printing. Although there are a growing number of plastics and plastic substitutes available for 3D printing , by far, the two most common are still ABS and PLA.
The biggest issue with PVC for 3D printing is its corrosive nature potentially compromising typical machines' functionality if it were used over a longer period. An interesting kickstarter developed a PVC capable 3D printing nozzle extruder head put forward by engineer and entrepreneur Ron Steele that unfortunately closed without enough interest in You can take a look at the introductory pitch video here:.
Polyvinyl Chloride can be cut on a CNC machine , but any machinist who has tried has probably experienced degradation in the cutter depending on the material it is made.
PVC is corrosive and abrasive, and cutters that are not made from stainless steel or a comparably corrosive resistant material are likely to deteriorate over time. Polyvinyl Chloride can be injected just like other plastics, but chlorine in the material complicates the process. This is because melted PVC can give off a corrosive, toxic gas. Accordingly, shops need to be equipped with good ventilation systems. Those that aren't are likely to be hesitant to work with the material.
Additionally, unique corrosive resistant materials like stainless steel or chrome plating are required for the mold tool when injection molding PVC plastic. Shrinkage in PVC tends to be between one and two percent. It can still vary based on several factors, including material durometer hardness , gate size, holding pressure, holding time, melt temperature, mold wall thickness, mold temperature, and the percentage and type of additives. PVC can pose a health hazard when burned as it emits hydrogen chloride HCl fumes.
In applications where the likelihood of fire is high, PVC free electrical wire insulation is sometimes preferred. Fumes can also be emitted when melting the material such as during prototyping and manufacturing processes like 3D printing , CNC machining , and injection molding.
We recommend taking a look at the Material Safety Data Sheets MSDS for different chlorinated hydrocarbon gases like chlorobenzene and discussing the production process with a professional manufacturer. PVC provides industries with a series of critical advantages that have cemented its place as one of the most popular and widely used plastics on the market.
These advantages include:. PVC's advantages helped solidify its place as one of the most used plastics around the world. However, even though it's widely effective and popular, you have to consider some factors when using the material.
Discharged pollutants impact nearby drinking water supplies and on-site incinerators spread dioxin and other hazardous compounds in the air.
As a result, Greenpeace surmises that communities, farms, and fishing areas nearby are negatively impacted by the spread of PVC chemicals. Dioxins as a result of PVC may disrupt the hormones of animals, causing birth defects, infertility, and developmental problems with their young. PVC is not considered eco-friendly. It is made by a chemical reaction between chlorine, carbon, and ethylene and because it causes the release of other harmful chemicals, it does a lot of harm to the environment.
In order to be transformed into a material that can be used in textiles or packaging, phthalates — which are plasticizers — are added, therefore adding another layer of harmful chemicals. Environmental racism disproportionately affects people of lower socioeconomic status. Since most of the PVC plants that produce PVC are located in poor communities in either Louisiana or Texas, this is a classic example of environmental racism.
These communities are affected more so by the chemicals of the PVC plants, causing more health and fertility problems in communities that, financially, cannot afford such health issues. In , Reveilletown, La.
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