PVC has a multitude of real world applications. PVC material has been used for everything from clothing to sewage pipes. It’s intrinsic properties make it suitable for a great many uses. When it was first discovered, it was impossible to use because it is very hard and easily breakable in it’s natural state. Once chemists found the proper way to process the PVC material, it was put to use in many of the things we come into contact with everyday.
In the 19th century, Polyvinyl Chloride was accidentally discovered at least twice The first time was in 1835 by Henri Victor Regnault, and then in 1872 by Eugen Bauman. In the beginning, they could not find any applications for the PVC material because it was too brittle and rigid to process into anything usable. Throughout the early 20th century, Russian chemist tried in vain to find a process that would allow the use of polyvinyl material to be used.
It was in 1926, that Waldo Semon and the B.F. Goodrich Company developed a process to plasticize PVC. They blended it with various additives and the result was a more flexible and easy to use material that was immediately put into production for widespread commercial use.
PVC now touches our lives in so many ways on a daily bases. PVC material was used to make LP records. It is cheaper than leather, rubber or latex so it is used in many different styles of clothing. Plus, it is waterproof so it is good for coats shoes and ski equipment.
The chemical makeup of Polyvinyl Chloride makes it suitable for use in many pipe and wiring applications. PVC is used for insulation on wires because of it’s low smoking point in the case of a fire. Many different types of pipes are made of PVC because it is durable, easy to use and safe for transporting drinking water.
Once chemist found the process needed to make polyvinyl chloride useable, it was immediately put into mass production. PVC has been making our lives simpler and more interesting ever since.