Talk:Polyvinyl chloride

message: Under the physical properties, Young's modulus is listed in psi while the yield strength is in MPa. Is there a reason for one being metric and the other in US standard? I don't think it makes a difference either way (conversion isn't complicated) but unless there's a reason, it'd be nice to have it standardized one way or another. Just a thought/observation.  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.209.132.134 (talk) 05:31, 18 November 2012 (UTC)
thread_title: Untitled

message: Sorry for the bad ASCII "drawings". I'll try and improve that in a while ;)
Should mention phthalates controversy.
Lest this page be forever alternately edited by User:Daniel C. Boyer and User:Maximus Rex, adding and removing the "Pipe Dreams" link, I am (perhaps ill-advisedly) registering my opinion.
* I agree with MR that a material is not notable simply because it has been used as artistic medium; and PVC's notability is certainly not for its role as an artistic medium (unlike, say, paint or bronze).  So I am disinclined towards noting PVC's use in art within the article.  If we were to list all the applications in which PVC is used at least as much as it is within art, we would have a very long list.
* However, the "Pipe Dreams" link is an interesting 'squirty' link that is tangentially related to PVC. Someone looking for more information on PVC itself would not want to follow it, but someone merely browsing might very much want to follow it.  It was not appropriate (as was originally the case) as the only "PVC-related" external link, but it might be appropriate asvolvement with the "Pipe Dreams" exhibition makes his repetitive restoration of the link rather akin to self-promotion, so even if the "Pipe Dreams" link belongs here, it is unclear that he should be the one to put it here.
* It may be appropriate to conduct a straw poll to gain a more broad-based sense of whether the link belongs here.
Shimmin 20:29, 21 Apr 2004 (UTC)
thread_title:  Diagrams 

message: When did Henri whatsisname find white stuff floating in his flask of vinyl chloride?  Anyone have references on the matter?  There seems to be a disagreement between the websites I'm finding; hopefully someone will have an authoritative book on their shelf.--Joel 02:45, 29 September 2005 (UTC)
thread_title:  1835 or 1838? 

message: I've heard reports of lead leaching from PVC.
Should these be added, and does anyone else have independant verification?
User:Orange & Viridian 2/15/06 11:11 am
:Aside from the word "plumbing", I've never heard of a link between PVC and lead.  Dioxin, maybe, but not lead. --Joel 19:17, 15 February 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: I have seen a warning poster about lead in some vinyl lunchboxes.  Also, some electrical cords (probably insulated with PVC) have a warning label about lead, but I am not sure if the lead is in the plastic or as the metal in part of the wire.  Also, the cadmium page notes that some cadmium compounds are added to PVC.  Anyone have more info. on this? --24.16.148.75 23:02, 12 July 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Lead in PVC? 

message: I came to this page because I wanted to find information about the ways PVC is used.  Instead, I found an article almost totally devoted to the (possible) health problems of PVC.  This could well be useful, but I wish someone would explain why PVC is used before explaining why it shouldn't be used. -- Eric-Albert 23:42, 15 April 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Where are the good points of PVC? 

message: It should definantly be noted somewhere in this article that the plasticizers which may leach out of some PVC products is only used in UPVC (aka FPVC, flexible pvc, ect.)  The purpose of the plasticizers is to make the PVC flexible, like polyethylene.  Rigid PVC (used for cold water piping in many homes, construction etc.,) containes no plasticizers becuase it is a product that must remain rigid.  With all the health concerns this article mentions it is really essential to make this designation.
I would change it myself but I am not sure where to put this information.  It seems to me like it should be in the beggining of the article, but it could be placed at the start of the health concerns sub-topic.  CoolMike 17:43, 26 May 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  PVC vs. UPVC & RPVC vs. FPVC

message: I have a classroom text used to introduce engineers to plastics engineering that lists many common products that are frequently made of PVC...Those folks who talked about uses of pvc, would you find this information usefull?  Very few products are made out of only one material, so it would just be a general guide.
CoolMike 17:43, 26 May 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Uses of PVC 

message: I work at a UPVC pipe fitting plant and all leftover / loose pieces are sent back to be reground and repressed, with the exception of those that have chemical defects. It seems to me that the biggest reason PVC (piping, at least) isn't recycled would be that once you install PVC plumbing, you rarely ever take it back out. At the very least, PVC can be recycled. Since the Greenpeace claim has been uncited for about a month now, i'll take it down in a few days if no one disagrees. SReynhout 20:03, 20 August 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: Not so much unrecyclable as difficult to recycle I should think. Widespread infrastructure does not exist (in the US), and PVC is very much a different beast from HDPE/LDPE(, PS and PETE). Offhand I'd think PVC is closer to polycarbonate which is diffcult to recycle itself. --Belg4mit 03:16, 22 August 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: I thought the main problem was, that PVC was mixed up with other chemicals (plastifiers, etc.) to make it easy to handle.  If yuo have one 'type' of PVC, there is no problem, but if you mix all the 'different PVC's' you get to something that is almost impossible to handle.  I think that is saw in NL a scheme where they ground old PVC (all sorts of it), and made it into a solid form, and used it for things that would not need a high-quality plastic, and also would not need replacement for the next so many years.  So, I do agree, it can be recycled, reword to 'difficult to recycle', and give some (preferably referenced) reasons?  --Dirk Beetstra T C 07:36, 22 August 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Recyclability 

message: This is pretty much standard on all the other polymer pages but I must of just lucked out. Can you guys please put an advantages and disadvantages section up, lots of school kids like myself will be looking at this and I want them to not have to go searching in other places like myself. 211.31.112.16 23:51, 4 November 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Advantages and Disadvantages 

message: Is there any reason that a link to lists of cancer clusters should be at the see also section of this page?  I didn't see any reference to cancer clusters in the article... Will delete it after a second search through the text on the grounds that it has no real connection to the article.
Feedback would be appreciated.  CoolMike 01:14, 22 November 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Link to lists of cancer clusters 

message: I am currently doing a lot of research intp PVC, and the statistics in this properties table seem to vary significantly to other sources; I have found that the properties of PVC do vary depending upon the small amount of plasticisers added, but who knows where these stated properties are taken from?
Can anybody provide information on it's price? I know it's a pretty cheap material, but how cheap actually is it? The prices of PVC are obviously company guarded secrets for people who have no intention to buy them. Although, after having trawled through the internet long enough i did indeed find some prices per barrel. (Can't remember where though, didn't have to look too hard on google)  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.16.95.184 (talk) 18:34, 26 April 2012 (UTC)
thread_title:  Statistics 

message: I can find no reason for a link to the Blue Man Group in the See Also section. I'm removing it. It can be put back if it's supose to be there. I'm putting it here: * Blue Man Group  SadanYagci 02:33, 10 January 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Blue Man Group? 

message: Could whoever put the properties of PVC on this page give the reference for where they took that information from? At the moment it looks like those numbers were pulled out of the air, excluding the last one, and I don't believe there's any policy that says physical and chemical properties shouldn't be properly referenced like any other highly specific detail in an article.  58.168.115.92 05:23, 11 March 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: There is some confusion regarding the heat transfer coefficient. The correct units for the heat transfer coefficient is W/m2K. The correct units for the thermal conductivity is W/mK. Johnsarelli (talk) 10:02, 31 August 2010 (UTC)
thread_title:  References for PVC properties 

message: I just re-added a few of the links that hu12 just deleted.  While I agree with his reason for deleting links (as per the wikipedia:NOT) he/she didn't seem to realize that many of the links under that sub-heading were not actually industry links.  Of the 10 links or so that were deleted I re-added 3 or 4 of these links.  I did this on the grounds that they contain good information, and also that the reason for deleting them did not make sense.  Also, when all of those links were deleted all that remained were the environmentalist/health and safety links, making for a very biased section.  Consider the fact that PVC is the 2nd most commonly used polymer today, and then look at how much of the text of this article is devoted to enflammatory remarks from biased editors.  But I digress.  I think the links have good information and show the pros and cons of the material as a whole.  If anyone disagree's with my un-deletion please discuss it here on the talk page before deleting the links again.  Despite the nasty tone of the article PVC is not a bad or dangerous material and it has bothered me for a long time that the article is so biased... CoolMike 19:05, 27 July 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Added a few links recently deleted, apparantly by accident 

message: Please see this article; polymer clay. Just thought it could at least be mentioned briefly.I'd also quite like to see a section on working with PVC. It has a lot on health risks from finished products, and quite a nice little section on what it is used to make. I do agree that we don't want a section on PVC in art, but a bit on working with this material would be appriciated. I am a lemon 01:52, 30 July 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  PVC as a craft material 

message: "Despite the high costs of PVC to the natural environment and human health, it is still widely used."  is this a truly undisputed fact?  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.147.44.145 (talk) 09:22, 13 September 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: It is the way things are stated in that portion of the article that is in dispute.  It is not from a NPOV.JSR (talk) 20:44, 2 September 2012 (UTC)

text: My qualifications are probably better than yours.  I didn't put the tag there, I am just keeping it there.  Please call in an administrator if you so choose.JSR (talk) 21:02, 2 September 2012 (UTC)
thread_title:  Neutrality 

message: The quoted Young's modulus seems high - is there a reference supporting it?
<a href="http://web.mit.edu/course/3/3.11/www/modules/props.pdf">MIT</a> quotes Young's modulus for PVC at 1.5 GPa (= 1500 MPa).
<a href="http://www.visteon.com/utils/whitepapers/2004_01_0012.pdf">SAE</a> quotes Young's modulus for acrylic at 1.7 GPa.
From hands-on experience, acrylic seems stiffer than PVC...   71.252.112.144 18:31, 4 October 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Young's modulus 

message: Hemp proponents make this claim: "Plastic plumbing pipe (PVC pipes) can be manufactured using renewable hemp cellulose as the chemical feed stocks, replacing non-renewable coal or petroleum based chemical feed stocks." Is this true? Bodhi.peace (talk) 16:08, 1 May 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: Potentially, yes. Hydrolysis of cellulose gives sugars, which, when fermented, give ethanol. Ethanol is dehydrated to give ethylene. Currently ethylene is produced from oil. Once there is ethylene, the process is the same as established: ethylene is chlorinated to ethylene dichloride, which is decomposed to give vinyl chloride. Vinyl chloride is polymerized to PVC. See for example . However, the real problem is the feedstock. Oil is cheaper than biomass, and there is simply not enough arable land on Earth to replace the current oil demand with biomass. Furthermore, hydrolysis of cellulose is a non-trivial reaction to commercialize. It is being currently investigated. .. Plus, there's another nontrivial problem that chlorine is produced by electrolysis (the chlor-alkali process). This requires massive amounts of electricity, which has its own environmental issues - it should be renewable, too. .. Also, I doubt that hemp fiber would be the ideal feedstock; sugar cane or similar plants can produce sugar directly. --Vuo (talk) 16:43, 3 May 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  Hemp 

message: The temperatures information, Glass temperature 87 °C , Melting point 80 °C , Vicat B1 85 °C, make no sense and seem to be contradictory. At the very least they need an explanation like what is meant by "melting point" because PVC does not melt at 80ºC in the sense that it becomes a running liquid. GS3 (talk) 11:48, 25 July 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: PVC doesn't really have a single melting temperature because it doesn't actually melt completely; and the amount that melts kind-of depends. When PVC is "molten", in actuality it only contains so much melt that despite containing solid, it flows (another such mixture is wet concrete). --Vuo (talk) 20:13, 18 September 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: I still don't understand how can Glass temperature be higher than Melting point temperature... Here in the table there is written PVC's glass temperature as 81 °C which is slightly different than 87 °C here. What's right? 85.207.232.12 (talk) 00:08, 6 November 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  Melting Temperature 

message: I {fact}'d this:
:In recent years, PVC has been replacing traditional building materials such as wood, concrete and clay in many areas. The use of non-PVC materials has been on the rise due to concerns about the environmental and toxicity characteristics of PVC.
This is weasel wording. "Is being gradually replaced"? "Has been on the rise"? There should be a general policy on Wikipedia that such claims should not be added at all without citations. The problem is this: in reality, many things that "are being gradually replaced" aren't. It would be nice if all potential health effects would lead to a total ban, but this does not happen, or it happens in a geographically very limited way. Rather, phrasing like this is a value judgement, i.e. saying that it is so because it should be so. However, until there are enforced laws that actually effect limitations or bans, or (non-fringe) rejection on the world market, the phrase "is being gradually replaced" sounds reasonable but actually means nothing, and does not belong in a general encyclopedia. To counteract this 'citation needed', substantiate the simple claim that is made: it has significant toxicity and pollution effects and it is these effects that lead to governments and other decisionmakers imposing actual limitations of use, with suspect jumps in logic in italics. And don't just dig up some editorial from a webzine; the bare fact that someone expresses this opinion does not mean it is so. --Vuo (talk) 20:31, 18 September 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  Being replaced? 

message: PVC is commonly used in clothing in the goth/punk/fetish subculture. I was surprised this wasn't mentioned, especially considering that Latex has it's own article about Latex clothing. Can we get something about that in here?  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.218.24.220 (talk) 08:17, 21 September 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  Use in clothing 

message: Bisphenol A says that chemical is used in PVC, and there are health concerns about it leeching from polycarbonate.  Are there corresponding concerns over Bisphenol A leeching from PVC? -- Beland (talk) 18:19, 25 September 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: A quick googling revealed (Analytica Chimica Acta, Volume 539, Issues 1-2, 10 May 2005, Pages 41-47, doi:10.1016/j.aca.2005.03.051) that a single container tested leached bisphenol A (not Bisphenol A, it's not a brand name) an amount one order of magnitude higher than polycarbonates. That is an amount, not rate of leaching. Considering the small amount of additive bisphenol A in PVC vs. the quantitative amount - that hopefully mostly polymerizes - going into polycarbonate, the absolute rate may be higher for PVC. Not that surprising if it's as is in PVC and polymerized in polycarbonates. Another question is the interpretation of the result, because PVC doesn't have the same end uses as PC. Also, it may be that the opportunity cost is higher than replacing it. (That is, it may take hundreds of millions of dollars to replace it and theoretically save one or two lives, instead of thousands saved should the same sum be spent on e.g. water treatment.) --Vuo (talk) 19:46, 25 September 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  Bisphenol A 

message: استخدامات بولس فينيل كلورايد
في الصناعات الانشائية لانابيب pvc  التي تحيط الانابيب والاسلاك والقابلوات للوقاية من الرطوبة والتشوهات الميكانيكية والتاثيرات الكيمياوية 
ولنقل الغازات المضغوطة ولعزل الصفائح  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.205.180.4 (talk) 09:38, 10 June 2009 (UTC)
thread_title:  hi 

message: There is a reference with a link to http://www.bsc.ca.gov/documents/PR07-02_final__pics.pdf which is not working.  Please fix this.  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 96.251.128.221 (talk) 16:08, 8 July 2009 (UTC)
replies: text: Fixed. Wizard191 (talk) 19:07, 8 July 2009 (UTC)
thread_title:  Link in one of the references not working 

message: Shouldn't gramophone records be mentioned in the Applications section. It was the world's defining physical medium for music from the 50s to the 80s, and possibly again in a few years time.  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 85.228.145.196 (talk) 16:43, 14 October 2009 (UTC)
thread_title:  Gramophone records? 

message: There are two seemingly contradictory statements at different ends of the "Dioxins" section:
Also, scientific tests wherein municipal refuse containing several known concentrations of PVC was burned in a commercial-scale incinerator showed no relationship between the PVC content of the waste and dioxin emissions.
The next largest sources of dioxin in the EPA inventory are medical and municipal waste incinerators. Studies have shown a clear correlation between dioxin formation and chloride content and indicate that PVC is a significant contributor to the formation of both dioxin and PCB in incinerators.
Both statements are cited, and I'm not surprised that there are conflicting citable references out there.  However, the section should probably be rewritten to acknowledge this contradiction rather than making two incompatible assertions at different points in the text. --216.68.32.47 (talk) 21:36, 21 October 2009 (UTC)
replies: text: I think I've fixed this. Wizard191 (talk) 19:52, 31 October 2009 (UTC)
thread_title:  Dioxins section inconsistency 

message: What is the actual melting point of common PVC pipe?  How does it behave around that temperature?  What fumes are actually given off?  Are they hazardous or toxic? To what extent?
On the internet, "everyone knows" that PVC pipe fumes are toxic, supposedly. But what reliable detailed sources are there for this claim?
A Georgia Tech grad student in 2000 claimed that the smoke was hazardous, but makes no specific claims about fumes from melting without smoke.
It seems that PVC is a thermoplastic without a definite melting point. There are many DIY projects based on heating and bending it.  It may be reasonably safe to melt in small amounts outdoors with good ventilation.  Or not?
* http://www.wagerco.com/pvc/pvcPipeMSDS/pvcPipeMSDS.html
* www.sandersonpipe.com/msds.pdf
MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEET
PVC PIPE
Efforts of Overexposure
There are no significant health hazards from vinyl compound at ambient temperatures.
Inhalation of decomposition or combustion products, especially hydrogen chloride, will
cause irritation of the respiratory tract, eyes and skin. Depending on the severity of
exposure, physiological response will be coughing, pain and inflammation. Individuals
with bronchial asthma and other types of chronic obstruction respiratory diseases may
develop bronchial spasms if exposure is prolonged.
Ventilation
Provide efficient exhaust at all operations creating fumes or vapor. Cutting or sawing,
machining, heat welding, thermofolding and other operations involving heat sufficient to
result in degradation should be examined to ensure adequate ventilation.
Since PVC is so common, and accidents do happen, how many people a year are actually harmed by PVC fumes and smoke?-96.237.8.162 (talk) 13:39, 8 October 2010 (UTC)
thread_title:  Toxic PVC pipe fumes 

message: This does not make sense. It seems out of context or poorly translated. "Its inherent ability to absorb particles from the LCD screen and its form fitting characteristics make it effective." Chris Murphy (talk) 19:47, 14 October 2010 (UTC)
replies: text: I removed it. It's doesn't make any sense and it's been marked as needing a citation for a long time. Wizard191 (talk) 20:55, 14 October 2010 (UTC)
thread_title:  LCD Cleaning 

message: dont they use pvc in martial arts as well; I personaly use a gray electrical pvc pipe as a bo staff and white pvc for nunchucks as well. Could we find a source for the matial arts use of pvc? IF needed i could do that in my free time. 68.70.14.63 (talk) 18:40, 23 December 2010 (UTC)
thread_title: martial arts

message: I dragged myself here after reading a few figure.fm posts worrying about the toxidity of the PVC in their display figures, and its use in millions upon billions of commercially-released dolls and statues in Japan isn't noted in the article at all. Don't you think there should be some kind of mention in the uses box? 82.37.246.236 (talk) 09:36, 16 February 2011 (UTC)
thread_title: What about PVC figures?

message: The lead section makes no mention of the environmental and health controversies surrounding this material, not even pro-rata to the main body content. It however makes reference to "figurines" which would seem to account for an infinitesimal proportion of its use, not even mentioned under applications, where it should surely be first. I'll fix these issues if no good reason to leave as-is is posted in the next week or so.  Trev M  ~  15:36, 21 April 2011 (UTC)
thread_title:  Disproportionate Lead section 

message: Hello, I would like to expand the discussion on PVC with the latest information available on emissions during manufacture, certain chemical additives and recycling. I am now retired but worked in the PVC industry for many years. Currently I am involved with a professional members organisation where,amongst other objectives,sound knowledge and information is made available to communities.StuPat (talk) 12:30, 18 July 2011 (UTC)
replies: text: Please do.  Be bold!  I am not a subject matter expert, but an educated layman and know the Wikipedia aspects thoroughly.  I'll help where I can.  —EncMstr (talk) 17:10, 18 July 2011 (UTC)

text: Having just given the Applications section a bit of a shake-out, and stood back to look at the whole article, the environmental section now looks very heavy. For the non-tech visitor, I would suggest summarizing the detail on the main PVC page, and creating a sub-article containing this detail. I'll help... if consensus and others would like to help.  Trev M  ~  15:31, 15 December 2011 (UTC)
thread_title:  Expansion 

message: I'm about to set up achiving with misa bot on this page, as is common practice with talk pages, as the page is full of redundant stuff. I'll set it up to leave posts younger than about 2 months, with a minimum of 6 threads on page. There is a template to mark any that shouldn't be archived, if need be.  
see User:MiszaBot/config
Any objections?
 Trev M  ~  16:02, 15 December 2011 (UTC)
thread_title:  Archiving this page 

message: Please be patient while I edit this page somewhat. PVC is an important material and there is lots of controlversy.  Some of the material temporarily removed will be restored in a day or two.--Smokefoot (talk) 06:21, 3 January 2012 (UTC)
thread_title: Editing Jan, 2012

message: Hi,
I was looking for the chemical properties of PVC, particularly the reactions with Petroleum derivatives like Petroleum jelly, Kerosene, Diesel and Gasoline. As I dont see a chemical properties section, should I add it?  — Preceding unsigned comment added by Samveen (talk • contribs) 04:56, 10 January 2012 (UTC)
replies: text: A short section citing a review or a book would be a welcome addition. PVC does not react with simple hydrocarbons or mixtures thereof (kerosene etc), but possibly the polymer swells a little.  There is a section on chlorinated PVC already.--Smokefoot (talk) 13:29, 10 January 2012 (UTC)
thread_title:  Chemical Properties Section missing 

message: Despite the controversy about PVC I found the information given in the section Bans http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyvinyl_chloride#Bans not corresponding to what a ban actually is definition here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ban_%28law%29. there is no prohibition in place. Should that be changed to another wording?  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 78.109.11.4 (talk) 15:39, 24 January 2012 (UTC)
thread_title:  Bans? 

message: The pipe photo doesn't appear to show PVC pipes.  We can't even see the pipes themselves; they're hidden under insulation.  The insulation jackets on the elbows may be PVC, but it looks like a fiber jacket on the straight sections.--Theodore Kloba (talk) 14:05, 12 June 2012 (UTC)
thread_title:  Pipe photo 

message: "PVC is a polymer with good electrical properties". Which? Insulation, or conductivity? --Jerome Potts (talk) 16:50, 22 November 2012 (UTC)
thread_title:  "electrical properties" 

message: The second sentence leading into this article, “PVC is used in construction because it is cheaper and stronger than more traditional alternatives such as copper or ductile iron…” is blatantly untrue with regard to strength and needs to be removed. 
Comparative testing in this regard showing by far the opposite, either accomplished or witnessed by third-parties, is e.g. documented in the publications at
<http://www.dipra.org/wp-content/uploads/DuctileIronPipeVSPVCpipe.pdf>
and <http://www.dipra.org/wp-content/uploads/DuctileIronPipevsPVCO.pdf> (and many others) 207.223.116.5 (talk) 19:26, 26 November 2012 (UTC)
replies: text: Almost certainly that alludes to strength to weight ratio, not pure strength for a given volume.  However, the sentence lacks context for that, so if noone else weighs in, I'll eventually fix it.  —EncMstr (talk) 20:43, 26 November 2012 (UTC)
thread_title:  PVC is NOT Stronger than Ductile Iron! 

message: I propose to remove this link for a 2004 document that is more emotive than science based. There is now strong evidence in the Article that PVC is certainly no worse than other plastics and better than some in relation to Health and Safety and Waste handling (StuPat (talk) 15:56, 5 December 2013 (UTC)
thread_title:  Remove external link PVC – Bad News Comes in Threes 

message: The article states that French chemist Henri Regnault accidentally synthesized PVC in 1835.  This claim is incorrect.
I have found and read Regnault's original publications concerning vinyl chloride and (supposedly) PVC. Here are the articles and links to them:
*  Regnault, V. (1835) "Organisch-chemische Untersuchungen" (Organic chemical investigations), Annalen der Chemie, 2nd series, 15 :  60-74.
*  Regnault, V. (1838) "De l'action du chlore sur la liqueur des Hollandais et sur le chlorure d'aldéhydène" (On the action of chlorine on Dutch oil [1,2-dichloroethane] and on ethylene chloride [vinyl chloride]) Annales de Chimie et de Physique, 2nd series, 69 :  151-169.
Whether you can read German (as I can) or not, you'll notice that in Regnault's 1835 paper, he discussed his research only on brominated and iodated hydrocarbons (Bromkohlenwasserstoff and Jodkohlenwasserstoff, respectively).  There is no mention of chlorinated hydrocarbons until the end of the paper, where, on pages 73 and 74, he mentioned that his teacher, "Hr. Liebig" (Justus von Liebig), had noticed similarities among ethylene halides.  (Liebig gave the name "aldehyden" (dehydrated alcohol) to what is now called "ethylene".)  Chloroethylene (Chlorkohlenwasserstoff, hydrocarbon chloride) is mentioned there. Neither Regnault nor Liebig claimed to have discovered a substance resembling PVC; furthermore, no finding was mentioned in the paper that could be interpreted as the production of PVC (i.e., the production of a white resinous precipitate or such).
In Regnault's 1838 paper (p. 152), he treated impure 1,2-dichloroethane (la liqueur des Hollandais) with a solution of potassium hydroxide (potasse caustique) in ethanol, producing vinyl chloride, which he then reacted with antimony pentachloride (perchlorure d'antimoine).  The product of this reaction was consistent with 1,1,2-trichloroethane (p. 153).  He then treated the 1,1,2-trichloroethane with potassium hydroxide in alcoholic solution and distilled the resulting mixture (p. 155).  The distillate was consistent with 1,1-dichloroethylene (C2H2Cl2), a liquid that he determined was C4H4Cl4.  In the next passage (p. 157) Regnault noted that this substance soon formed a resinous ("non-crystalline") precipitate:  "Le liquide C4H4Cl4 est très peu stable; abandonné à lui-même dans un tube fermé à la lampe, il devient bientôt trouble et laisse déposer une matière blanche non cristalline, qui est une simple modification isomèrique."  (The liquid C4H4Cl4 is quite unstable; left alone in a tube sealed with a blow torch, it soon becomes cloudy and deposits a white, non-crystalline material, which is a simple isomeric modification.)  On page 158, he mentioned that if the liquid is put in a flask, mixed with dry chlorine gas, and then exposed to sunlight, it transforms to a solid:  "Le flacon ayant ensuite été exposé au soleil, le liquide a entièrement disparu et a été remplacé par le chlorure solide." (The flask having then been exposed to the sun, the liquid completely disappeared and was replaced by the solid chloride.)
  
Subsequent investigators have concluded that Regnault had formed polyvinylidene chloride, not PVC.  This is a reasonable conclusion since:
#  Polyvinylidene chloride is formed from 1,1-dichlorethylene, and Regnault had begun with dichlorethylene.
#  PVC is made from vinyl chloride.  Vinyl chloride is a gas at room temperature and pressure, whereas Regnault stated that the solid had formed from a liquid.  1,1-dichloroethylene is a liquid below 89° F (32° C); Regnault (1838, p. 155) noticed that the liquid "bout entre 35 et 40°" (boils between 35 and 40° C), consistent with a contaminated sample of 1,1-dichloroethylene.
By contrast, German chemist Eugen Baumann clearly discovered PVC in 1872.  He exposed to sunlight what he knew to be vinyl chloride gas, to which a few drops of water had been added.  Within 8 days, the gas had completely transformed into PVC.  From p. 318:  "Der feste Körper is eine ausserordentlich zähe, zusammenhängende, nicht krystallinische Masse von blendend weisser Farbe und vollständig geruchlos."  (The solid body is an extraordinarily tough, cohesive, non-crystalline mass of a brilliantly white color and completely odorless.)  See:  Baumann, E. (1872) "Ueber einige Vinylverbindungen" (On some vinyl compounds),  Annalen der Chemie und Pharmacie, 163 :  308 - 322.
The following sources state that Regnault did not produce PVC:
*  R.A. Fava, "Introduction" in:  Ronald A. Fava, ed., Methods of Experimental Physics, Vol. 16A:  Polymers:  Molecular Structure and Dynamics (New York, New York:  Academic Press, 1980) page 1.
*  Stanley R. Sandler, Polymer Syntheses, 2nd ed., vol. 2 (London, England:  Academic Press, 1994), page 361.
*  A. William Coaker, "Poly(vinyl chloride)" in:  C. Craver and C. Carraher, ed.s, Applied Polymer Science:  21st Century (Oxford, England:  Elsevier Science, 2000), page 107.
*  Charles E. Carraher, Giant Molecules: Essential Materials for Everyday Living and Problem Solving (Hoboken, New Jersey:  John Wiley & Sons, 2003), page 156.
72.74.182.137 (talk) 08:31, 8 December 2014 (UTC)
thread_title:  Regnault & discovery of PVC ? 

message: 'Most vinyl products contain plasticizers which dramatically improve their performance characteristic.'
To me, that statement seems myopic and biased.
Do the quotation's last two words mean something different in scientific terms than plain English? 
Also, why is the article's spelling of plasticiz/ser inconsistent Beingsshepherd (talk) 00:19, 23 July 2015 (UTC)
thread_title:  Phthalate Plasticizers  

message: Is this really worth it?
The article's title doesn't contain parentheses, and its first sentence states that the alternative form is just that: alternative—more correct, but very unusual. Besides, a compound word with parentheses is barely readable. Couldn't simple "polyvinyl chloride" work just as well?
Τηε ΓΟΟΔ (talk) 11:33, 31 May 2017 (UTC)
replies: text: Much better.  Otr500 (talk) 13:38, 14 October 2017 (UTC)
thread_title:  "Poly(vinyl chloride)" 

message: Suggest a section under degradation due to tannins, to be written by a knowledgeable party. 
A chemist once told me not to use PVC pipe in applications with buried soil, due to degradation from tannins in the soil. He said to use polyethylene pipe. 
Tannins refer to large polyphenolic compounds and are generally found in soil due to plants, trees, etc.  
01july1953 (talk) 17:41, 23 April 2018 (UTC)
thread_title:  Tannin effect on PVC 

message: Please would someone knowledgeable add information about the types of solvents and adhesives that are used with PVC ? Many thanks ! Darkman101 (talk) 07:49, 15 October 2018 (UTC)
thread_title:  Adhesives and Solvents 

message: If I can make out the German properly, the exact opposite of what is written in this section appears to have been the case:
:PVC was accidentally synthesized in 1872 by German chemist Eugen Baumann.[12] The polymer appeared as a white solid inside a flask of vinyl chloride that had been left exposed to sunlight. 
According to the text linked through footnote [12], I think, Baumann says he deliberately left it on a shelf where it was protected from sunlight. This reminds me of the oft repeated story of how Max Planck, out of sheer desperation, sort of stumbled across his now famous Planck Constant, almost as if he was some kind of fumbling, bumbling boob who really didn't understand the full implications of what turned out to be the basis of the most important scientific advancement of the 20th century, quantum physics. Maybe WP can get a decent translation of the Baumann text to explicate the historical event one way or another.  Dynasteria (talk) 21:59, 19 August 2020 (UTC)
thread_title:  Discovery  

message: Surely as the article is about vinyl the picture used for the record should actually show the part that is vinyl and not just the label. Lllogan (talk) 19:42, 11 March 2022 (UTC)
thread_title:  Vinyl record picture 

message: I am moving the following uncited material here until it can be properly supported with inline citations of reliable, secondary sources, per WP:V, WP:NOR, WP:CS, WP:NOR, WP:IRS, WP:PSTS, et al. This diff shows where it was in the article. Nightscream (talk) 15:18, 30 July 2022 (UTC)
thread_title: Uncited material in need of citations

message: I am requesting that the my edit be reinstated.  It’s well known in tbe industry that PVC is used for underbody coating in automotive.  Toyota for example uses PVC formulations. Would an SDS be considered a reliable source? FSeg500 (talk) 14:02, 13 April 2023 (UTC)
thread_title:  PVC is used for UBC 

message: The lead claims in the third paragraph that
"Polyvinyl chloride [...] is insoluble in all solvents but swells in the monomer and some chlorinated hydrocarbon solvents."
I was surprised by the lack of qualification. PVC is of course soluble in some solvents. This study for instance found PVC to be soluble in several organic solvents, including two it is "well-known" to dissolve in: tetrahydrofuran and methylethylketone. The author may have confused PVC for PET, which really isn't soluble in common industrial solvents (though that is still a far cry from not being soluble in ANY solvent; you can dissolve PET in BHET and some other solvents at room temperature).
The property of being insoluble in every solvent would be quite remarkable and a sort of alchemical dream, so it deserves a citation at least. Eebster the Great (talk) 23:50, 5 November 2023 (UTC)
thread_title:  Lead claims that PVC is "insoluble in all solvents"