Rigid PVC

Polyvinyl chloride used extensively in structural pressure pipes.

Core Principles & Analysis

• Eugen Baumann observed vinyl chloride polymerizing in sunlit sealed tubes in 1872, decades before commercialization in the 1920s.
• About 57% of its mass is chlorine derived from brine electrolysis, so PVC consumes less hydrocarbon feedstock than other commodity plastics.
• Rigid (unplasticized) PVC is the dominant material worldwide for water and sewer pipe and vinyl window frames, and it self-extinguishes in fire.

Specifications & Metrics

• DENSITY: 1.40 g/cm³
• YIELD STRENGTH: 52 MPa
• HARDNESS: 80 Shore D