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Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is a widely-used plastic and, in terms of revenue generated, one of the most valuable products of the chemical industry; globally, over 50% of PVC manufactured is used in construction. PVC is produced from its monomer, vinyl chloride, and is a hard plastic made softer and more flexible by the addition of phthalates (plasticizers); in its soft form it is used for clothing and upholstery.
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is a widely-used plastic. In terms of revenue generated, it is one of the most valuable products of the chemical industry. Globally, over 50% of PVC manufactured is used in construction. As a building material PVC is cheap, and easy to assemble. In recent years, PVC has been replacing traditional building materials such as wood, concrete and clay in many areas. Despite appearing to be an ideal building material, PVC has high environmental and human health costs.
Polyvinyl chloride is produced from its monomer, vinyl chloride (chemical formula CH2=CHCl). PVC is a hard plastic that is made softer and more flexible by the addition of phthalates (plasticizers).
Polyvinyl chloride was accidentally discovered on at least two occasions in the 19th century, first in 1838 by Henri Victor Regnault and in 1872 by Eugen Baumann. On both occasions, the polymer appeared as a white solid inside flasks of vinyl chloride that had been left exposed to sunlight. In the early 20th century, the Russian chemist Ivan Ostromislensky and Fritz Klatte of the German chemical company Griesheim-Elektron both attempted to use PVC in commercial products, but difficulties in processing the rigid, sometimes brittle polymer blocked their efforts.
Most vinyl products are believed to be generally harmless when used properly. However, some of the additives and softeners leach out of certain vinyl products. Even though soft PVC toys have been made for babies for years, studies find that these additives leach out of soft toys into the mouths of the children chewing on them. Vinyl IV bags used in neo-natal intensive care units have also been shown to leach DEHP (di-2-ethyl hexyl phthalate), a phthalate additive. In Europe, phthalate additives in PVC toys for children under the age of three have been banned and in the USA, most companies have voluntarily stopped manufacturing PVC toys for this age group or have eliminated the phthalates. However, alternative softeners have not been properly tested to determine whether they are safe. Other vinyl products like brand new car interiors, shower curtains, and flooring, to name a few, initially release chemical gases into the air. Some studies indicate that this outgassing of additives may contribute to health complications, but the information on this is preliminary and needs further study.
According to some medical studies, the plasticizers added to PVC may cause chronic conditions such as Raynaud's syndrome, scleroderma, angiosarcoma, brain cancer and acroosteolysis.
In the late 1960's, Dr. John Creech, and Dr. Maurice Johnson, were the first to clearly link and recognize the carcinogenicity of vinyl chloride monomer to humans; workers in the polyvinyl chloride polymerization section of a B.F. Goodrich plant near Louisville, Kentucky, were diagnosed with liver angiosarcoma, a rare disease. Since that time, studies of PVC workers in Australia, Italy, Germany, and the U.K. have all associatied occupational cancers with exposure to vinyl chloride.
The environmentalist group Greenpeace has advocated the global phase-out of PVC because dioxin is produced as a byproduct of vinyl chloride manufacture.
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Have you heard of the Polydi educational plastic toy? It is an educational toy made of plastic that can help children learn math skills. |
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PVC in Clothing and TextilesWithin apparel, PVC appears in its soft, plasticized form: the glossy vinyl of rainwear, protective aprons, costumes, bags and upholstery such as car seats, where a waterproof, wipe-clean, leather-like sheet is wanted at low cost. The material can be embossed with grain patterns, printed, welded instead of sewn, and made in any color including crystal-clear transparent film — properties natural sheet materials cannot match at the price. Those same properties define its limits as a garment material: plasticized PVC does not breathe, it stiffens in cold, and its softness depends on plasticizers that can migrate over time, which is why old vinyl goods turn tacky or crack as the additives leave. In textile terms PVC also appears as a coating on fabrics, giving woven cloth a waterproof vinyl skin for rain gear and industrial covers. Reading the Record on PVCThe long account carried on this page is a factual record of both the material's success and its documented problems, and the two should be read together. The success is scale: few polymers have matched PVC's combination of cheapness, ease of assembly and durability, which put it into construction, records, pipework and everyday goods worldwide. The problems are specific rather than general: most vinyl products are believed generally harmless when used properly, but particular additives — DEHP and other phthalates — have been shown to leach from particular products, from soft toys to medical IV bags, leading Europe to ban phthalate additives in PVC toys for children under three and most US companies to stop making such toys voluntarily. Occupational exposure to the vinyl chloride monomer, a different and more serious hazard, was established through the Louisville, Kentucky plant cases of the late 1960s. A clear-eyed summary is that PVC's risks concentrate in manufacture and in migrating additives, and they are managed — or avoided — product by product. Common QuestionsWho developed usable PVC?PVC was discovered accidentally at least twice in the 19th century — by Henri Victor Regnault in 1838 and Eugen Baumann in 1872 — as a white solid in flasks of vinyl chloride left in sunlight, but the rigid polymer resisted commercial use until 1926, when Waldo Semon of B.F. Goodrich plasticized it by blending it with additives, producing a flexible, easily processed material. What makes soft PVC soft?Plasticizers — most historically phthalates — blended into the rigid polymer. Unplasticized PVC is a hard plastic; adding plasticizers separates the polymer chains enough to flex, which is how the same base material serves both as rigid pipe and as soft vinyl for clothing and upholstery. Why is PVC controversial?The concerns documented around PVC involve its additives and its monomer: some additives and softeners leach out of certain vinyl products, vinyl chloride monomer was linked to liver angiosarcoma in PVC plant workers in the late 1960s, and Greenpeace has advocated a global phase-out because dioxin is produced as a byproduct of vinyl chloride manufacture. More to ExploreMore from Apparel Search: Fabric Definitions | Clothing Industry Glossary | Fashion Terms | Apparel Search Home
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