Polyvinyl chloride, or PVC, is an essential thermoplastic, that has been a powerful player in since the beginning of the industrial revolution. In fact, it has its roots even a couple of decades before the industrial spike, and has continued to grow ever since. It's actually responsible for several products that we are familiar with in our everyday experiences. It has applications in a number of departments; clothing, signs, electric wires, pipes, portable electronics, and ceiling tiles, just to name a few! It's no surprise that tampa plastic extrusion is such a widely trusted process, with so many incredible uses. Construction companies, among so many others, prefer PVC pipe to any other plastic due to its low costs, its ability to endure extreme conditions, and the simplicity of the assembling process. By the year 2016, it is projected that PVC plastic production will surpass 40 million tons!

As can be expected by the name, polyvinyl chloride is actually a vinyl polymer, made up of several vinyl groups (ethenyls). These vinyl groups have one of their hydrogens replaced with a chloride group, thus making PVC plastic. This plastic is so popular in the industry, that it is actually the third most widely used, with polyethylene and polypropylene coming in first and second. Not only is it such a breeze to make, but for specific products, in can be made to be more flexible and much softer with the use of plasticizers.

So many more products were able to be constructed in such a short period of time, and in huge quantities, since the discovery of plasticization of the polymer. Hoses, electrical cable insulation, and even fabrics are constructed with the use of polyvinyl chloride. Many different plasticizers are employed in the process, but the most likely one to be used by a manufacturer is phthalates. Due to the fact that this plasticized PVC is is so flexible and durable at the same time, things like inflatable pool toys and waterbeds.

Before PVC can become PVC, it must go through a complex series of steps including an industrial-sized machine and the help of several experts in the field. A VCM, or vinyl chloride monomer, is placed through a process called suspension polymerization. The raw materials are heated and formed to the specifications of the manufacturers. The plastic must then go through a cooling process, as it may lose its form if not cooled properly, thus creating PVC.

PVC was actually first discovered by mistake in at least two recorded instances during the 1800's. In 1835, Henri Victor Regnault, and in 1872, Eugen Baumann discovered that after leaving the material vinyl chloride out in the sunlight for an extended period of time, it developed hard white flakes/chunks. Nobody furthered the testing of this material until the early 20th century, when two men tried to manipulate the product. Russian Ivan Omstromislensky and German Fritz Klatte both tried and failed to manipulate it because it was just too difficult to work with.

Waldo Semon and the B.F. Goodrich Company came up with the idea of plasticizing the material with the use of different additives. They thought that this would dilute the material and make it more flexible and much easier to work with, and they were right. With the introduction of this plasticizing process in 1926, PVC was allowed to flourish at a completely new level. All of the different applications that were now made possible thanks to plasticization grew in huge demand, and companies had to step it up.

Really the most relevant application for PVC is its use in piping, which actually represents about half of all the polyvinyl chloride produced in a year. PVC pipes are used in mass quantities in both water distribution markets and sanitary sewer pipe construction. This is due mostly to its light weight, low prices, and durability, as we as its versatility. It's easy for companies to connect pieces of PVC piping to each other with the use of cements or heat fusion.

As well as the wide use of injection molded parts, polyvinyl chloride shows up in so many other products that we have become extremely familiar with. For example, many advertising signs, and things on vehicles (such as stripes) employ the use of PVC. During the manufacturing process, it can be flattened, expanded, and dyed for almost no additional cost. Then this form of PVC is cut by a computer-controlled machine and sold in mass quantity.

Trusted orlando extrusion services is truly a wonderful invention, creating thousands of window panels for thousands of consumers daily. PVC pipes are responsible for so many things we take for granted! It's no wonder florida plastic companies produce it in such quantity!