Naples Custom Extrusion: The History Of PVC Products In The Country
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 jacksonville plastic manufacturing 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, PVC is made up of a vinyl polymer, consisting of dense groups of vinyl known as ethenyls. The chemical structure of the vinyl groups change, allowing for one of the vinyl's hydrogen groups to be replaced with chloride. After the discovery of plasticizing PVC, or adding additives in order to make the material more flexible, the applications for the material increased tenfold. This plasticizing was largely responsible for why it climbed to the third most widely used plastic in America.
These plasticizers made it possible for companies to manufacture things such as flexible hoses, electrical cable insulation, and fabrics, which was favorable for a number of obvious reasons. The most commonly used plasticizer is called phthalates, and due to its low prices, it has been used widely in the production process ever since its introduction in the 1920's. So many more things can be made with this plasticized PVC, especially since it isn't ruined by water. This allows things like inflatable pool toys and waterbeds to be made durable and in huge quantities.
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.
As many things in history, PVC was discovered on a fluke in the 19th century, by at least two people that we know of, Henri Victor Regnault in 1835 and Eugen Baumann in 1872. Both times, it was noted that something had appeared in vats of vinyl chloride that had been left out in the sunlight for long periods of times. They weren't however really tested until the early 20th century, when Ivan Omstromislensky from Russia and Fritz Klatte and from Germany tried to manipulate the material. Neither gained much from their attempts, as they found the material far too difficult work with.
In 1926, the idea to plasticize the PVC by using additives in order to make it easier to manipulate was coined by Waldo Semon with help from the B.F. Goodrich Company. Finally, the material had reached the point where it could be manufactured from a commercial standpoint, and with the industrial revolution it flourished. Companies made several jumps in the industry, creating so many products out of PVC that could have never been thought possible. Even in light of all this, the applications of PVC continue to flourish.
Half of all polyvinyl chloride material produced goes to the making of PVC pipes. These pipes have completely taken over industries such as the water distribution market and the sanitary sewer construction. The durability of these pipes allows them to be put through harsh conditions without cracking or breaking for long periods of time. Also, with a simple heating or concrete process, companies can connect several lengths of pipes together, cutting back on prices, saving time, and allowing PVC piping to run for miles underground.
There's no doubt that plastic molded products is completely essential to our way of lives; just think, where you're sitting right now (in your house, job, etc.) there is probably miles of PVC just underneath your feet. When you go about your daily life after today, just try and think about how many of the things you pass that are made out of PVC. Things like racing stripes on the sides of vehicles and advertising signs are made from this incredibly versatile plastic. PVC can be flattened and cut to make thin things like this by a computer-controlled machine!
It's simply unreasonable to suggest that we would not notice if florida plastic manufacturing just stopped production tomorrow. Trusted polymer products have become essential to our way of life. Too often we take for granted what industries such as naples plastic manufacturers provide for our ever-increasing demands.
Published December 21st, 2010
Filed in Business
