Kenneth S. Geick

Lubricating systems for rigid PVC

More than 30 billion pounds of poly vinyl chloride (PVC) were sold worldwide in 1995. Almost 60% of PVC is chlorine, which basically comes from sodium chloride (table salt). This results in a polymer that is inherently low cost, and one that is affected much less than most plastics by the cost of petroleum. However, the density of rigid PVC ranges from 1.30 to 1.58 g/cc, which is relatively high for a polymer. Because most plastic applications are volume dependent, PVC’s high density can result in more expensive finished items than those made with a lower density polymer.