Material guide
PVC, polyvinyl chloride
PVC, polyvinyl chloride, without plasticizers, is chemically resistant and affordable, a classic in tanks, piping and ventilation. Hard and stiff in its usual form, easy to weld and glue, and it resists both acids and bases where metal would rust through.
What it is
PVC, polyvinyl chloride, without plasticizers, is one of the oldest and most widely used engineering plastics. In semi-finished products you most often meet it as rigid PVC (PVC U, that is, without plasticizers): stiff, dimensionally stable and with good chemical resistance to acids, bases and salts. It is affordable, easy to machine and one of the few plastics that can be both welded and glued with ordinary solvent adhesive, which makes it rewarding to build constructions in. Count on PVC when you want chemical resistance and stiffness at a low price, and do not need to handle high temperatures. PVC U is typically supplied in gray as the standard color.
Properties
Good chemical resistance to acids, bases and salts
Hard and stiff in the U form, carries load and keeps its shape
Affordable compared with most engineering plastics
Can be both welded and glued, rewarding to build constructions in
Takes up essentially no moisture, the dimensions are not affected by a wet environment
Self-extinguishing, does not keep burning on its own
Common applications
PVC sits in tanks, vats, tubes and fittings for chemical environments and water treatment, plus in ventilation ducts, guards and interiors where chemical resistance and a low price weigh heavily. The glueable and weldable construction makes the material common in fabricated tank builds and piping systems for aggressive media. PVC is also used for signs and fronts where the hard, smooth surface comes into its own.
Limitations
PVC is not a high temperature plastic and softens long before engineering plastics do, so keep it away from hot environments. It is harder and more brittle than polyethylene and polypropylene, so for impact loaded parts or low temperatures there are tougher choices. Nor is the material the first choice for food contact, where you more often end up with PE or PP. For strongly oxidizing chemicals a fluoroplastic such as PVDF or PTFE suits better.
Our PVC grades withstand 60 °C in continuous operation and 70 °C for short periods, and go down to -20 °C. That is low compared with most engineering plastics, and in practice it is usually the temperature that decides whether PVC will do.
Grades and variants
PVC is available in several versions depending on requirements. The grades differ in density, impact strength and design.
Base grades
- PVC U, rigid PVC without plasticizers. The most common grade in semi-finished products, stiff and dimensionally stable, for tanks, tubes and constructions. Typically supplied in gray.
- Foamed PVC, lighter with a cell structure, for signs, fronts and light constructions where the weight has to come down.
Modified grades
- Impact resistant PVC, modified for improved impact strength where the hard U grade is too brittle.
- Colored grades, colors other than gray for specific needs.
PVC U is typically supplied in gray unless otherwise stated.
Machining
PVC is easily sawn, drilled, milled and turned, and it glues really well with solvent adhesive. Welding works too. Rigid PVC becomes brittle in the cold, so choose the quality to suit where the part is going to sit.
Formats we can supply
PVC is available across a wide span: sheets, round rods, tubes and hollow bars, as well as film, roll, welding rod and corrugated sheet. Formats and dimensions you see in the range. Would you like a piece cut to size? Enter the dimensions in VisualCutter and you will see the price straight away.