Everything You Need to Know About Type 1 PVC

Polyvinyl chloride or PVC, an economical and versatile material is used in a variety of applications because of the properties it offers as a material. It is a commonly used thermoplastic in building and construction, automobile, healthcare and other sectors; offering excellent resistance to chemical and corrosion. This makes it a great choice for a wide range of materials ranging from piping, wire and cable insulation, plating of tanks and tubing and more.

What is Type 1 PVC?

Type 1 PVC is used in the application where the final installation is not subjected to high impacts. Though it is compatible to be used with materials that are chemical and corrosion resistance. These are very easy to fabricate and can be made available in both rods and sheets of various sizes and thickness according to the needs of customers.

Applications of type 1 PVC

This is potentially used in corrosive environments including:

●      Pool components

●      Laboratory equipment

●      Valves and fittings

●      Chemical processing equipment

Apart from these applications, it is used in the production of many products that you will encounter in daily life but are encountered less frequently in construction, healthcare and electronics because of its low cost and desirable physical and mechanical properties. Due to the flexibility it can be fabricated into a wide range of products that can be both rigid and flexible.

●   For wiring and cables: PVC is non-flammable and can resist exposures like changing of temperature and dampness. To simply put, it can withstand any tough conditions behind the building walls. For this reason, it is considered as one of the most trusted and prevalent materials that can be used in wiring and cables without any second thoughts. It can be also used as a coating for bare copper, aluminum and fiber-optic wires.

●   In Buildings for widows and sliders: As the material is highly durable and affordable, these are used in siding and window frames to help conserve energy when heating and cooling homes. As discussed it is strong and resistant to moisture and abrasion, PVC is ideally used in windows, fencing, roof and flooring. These don’t require much maintenance and frequent painting. These can be cleaned easily with a cloth and mild cleaning products.

●   Connecting pipes or water pipes: PVC pipes make strong, durable and non-reactive materials that can be used in water distribution, sanitary and underground piping applications. PVC has the properties to handle intense impact which means the pipes won’t break, rust or rot and prove to be a dependable material with affordability when it comes to choosing the best material for potable water-piping. It is recommended that you choose a PVC made pipe as it will help you conserve energy and water because of the leak free pipes that are not prone to corrosion and resist environmental stress.

●   Other uses:

It is ideal in clothing like rain coats, boots and shower curtains because of its affordability, durability and water resistance. Other uses include flexible packaging, carpet backing and resilient flooring.

Advantages of using PVC:

●   Good resistance to UV rays and weathering: Type 1 PVC is manufactured while keeping UV protection in mind, so these are made with UV stabilization for thermoforming applications and for general purposes.

●   Non-flammable: PVC is the most demanding thermoplastic material because of its resistance standards and due to its tendency of self-extinguishing.

●   Good stability: PVC can be rigid as industrial pipes, thin and flexible as much as you want or even pliable as plastic wraps. You can customize them to match clearly to any color you desire.

●   Tip: usually the grey plastic is used in industries and doesn’t have any protective masking. It is recommended that you choose a white PVC type 1 if you prefer to use it for displaying or sign posts.

A Simple Guide to Thermoforming Plastics

Thermoforming describes the process of moulding plastics to its softening point and stretching it over or into a single-sided mold and solidifying it into the desired shape to create a variety of usable products. Thermoforming differs from injection molding, rational molding or other forms of processing plastics.

Thermoformingplastics are commonly used for food packaging, but have many applications other than that, including in plastic toys to aircraft windscreens. Thin gauge is usually less than 0.060 inches, and is used for rigid or disposable packaging like manufacturing of disposable cups, containers, lids, blisters and other products for food, medical or retail industries. Thick gauges usually greater than 0.120 inches are typically used in parts as diverse as vehicle doors and glass panels, refrigerator liners, aircraft windscreens or electrical equipment. Before we discuss the plastic materials used in thermoforming, let’s have a look at several factors that go into the selection of the best material for your required applications. Some of the common factors include:

• Stiffness or rigidity, consider how stiff the final product needs to be or it will have some flexibility in order to fulfil its intended use?
• Impact strength- how strong the final product needs to be in order to withstand any cracking, abrasion or chipping that may come along with the usage of it?
• Finishing and customizing options- does the manufacturer provide you with the desired color and if the surface can be customized according to color of your choice? Will it have different textures and graphics on the part?
• Cost- cost will totally depend on the quality of the material. Considering whether you will require the least expensive part or quality is more important to you.
• Is appearance a more important factor as compared to strength or both come along for you?
• It is also important to consider the other material that will come in contact with the part. So compatibility is important.
• How much heat the final plastic product will be able to withstand before it begins to distort?

Below are some of the most common plastics used in thermoforming along with their basic characteristics:

HDPE Plastic:

HDPE or high-density polyethylene is a stronger thermoformed plastic that is known for its exceptional strength to density ratio. It is a petroleum based thermoplastic polymer used in various applications such as bottles, plastic packaging and plastic bags. It is considered a great choice for products like shampoos, trays and recycle bins.

●      Lightweight

●      UV resistant

●      Chemical and corrosion resistant

●      Excellent impact resistance

ABS:

ABS is known for its tough resilience to elements like heat. It can withstand temperatures ranging anywhere from -4 to 176° F. This makes it an ideal polymer for products like automobile parts, headgears and kitchen appliances.

●      Used in interior/exterior components.

●      In seats

●      Good strength and stiffness

●      Functional in all temperatures

HIPS:

High impact polystyrene is a versatile plastic that is used in a variety of products as it can be molded into different shapes multiple times and still preserve its properties. It can be customized in different colors and the low cost of this material makes it a popular option. 

●      Available in many colors

●      Lower costs

●      Responds well to paint

●      Excellent impact resistance