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Many people have heard of PVC piping, but not many know what it's all about; like that PVC stands for polyvinyl chloride for instance! Since the industrial revolution, and even before then, PVC has been making appearances all throughout history. There are literally thousands of different things that can be manufactured with use of raw PVC, including ceiling tiles, portable electronics, pipes, and signs. One need look no further than the price and easy manipulation of the PVC material to find out why it has become so popular. PVC has completely taken over industries, many having to do with construction, and has saved workers as well as customers a lot of time and money. It is just so easy to deal with, and the orlando custom extrusion process has come such a long way that it only takes a few minutes to complete! In fact, it is estimated that by 2016, plastic production of the PVC material will rise above at least 40 million tons!

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) consists of a vinyl polymer, which in turn consists of compressed vinyl groups, also referred to as ethenyls. In the chemical structure, one of the vinyl group's hydrogens is replaced in favor of a chloride group. With the use of additives called plasticizers, it was soon discovered that PVC could be made with the ability to stretch and bend without breaking, in addition to being much softer. This discovery opened a door for a whole new variety of products, and helped to quickly move polyvinyl chloride to the third most widely used plastic in America.

So many more products were able to be constructed in such a short period of time, and in huge quantities, since the discovery of plasticization of the polymer. Hoses, electrical cable insulation, and even fabrics are constructed with the use of polyvinyl chloride. Many different plasticizers are employed in the process, but the most likely one to be used by a manufacturer is phthalates. Due to the fact that this plasticized PVC is is so flexible and durable at the same time, things like inflatable pool toys and waterbeds.

The process that produces PVC is polymerization of something called a VCM, a vinyl chloride monomer. Generally, manufacturers of PVC put the thermoplastic through what is called suspension polymerization. Raw vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) is put through a machine and goes through a vigorous system, including intense heating and shaping of the material. Then, it is put through a cooling mechanism in order to retain its shape, and besides a few finishing touches that experts in the field put on the product, finalize the PVC manufacturing process.

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.

The product most often created out of PVC would have to be piping, which unsurprisingly makes up more than half of all polyvinyl chloride production. PVC pipes have been hugely adopted by such industries as sanitary sewer construction and water distribution. In addition to its being light weight and low-priced, its quite easy to connect PVC piping, to run great distances underground. It's also extremely durable, so the piping can stay good for decades before having to be replaced.

There's no doubt that exterior shutters 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!