Polyvinyl Chloride CAS 9002-86-2

What is Polyvinyl Chloride?

Polyvinyl chloride is the polymer of vinyl chloride, a white powder supplied as resin rather than as pellets, because it is always compounded with stabilisers and other additives before processing.

It is unique among commodity polymers in that it is more than half chlorine by weight, which gives it inherent flame resistance and keeps its cost partly decoupled from oil.

Suspension PVC is the volume product for pipe, profile and rigid applications; emulsion PVC makes pastes for coating and flooring; bulk PVC gives the clearest film and bottles.

PVC cannot be processed without a stabiliser package, because it degrades thermally with HCl release. The compound formulation matters as much as the resin grade, which is why PVC is a formulation business rather than a resin business.

Why PVC specifically

• High chlorine content. Over half the polymer weight comes from chlorine, giving inherent flame resistance and lower hydrocarbon dependence.
• Formulation versatility. The same resin makes rigid pipe or flexible flooring depending on the plasticiser level.
• Low cost durability. PVC pipe and window profile have service lives measured in decades at low material cost.
• Excellent chemical resistance. Resistant to acids, alkalis and most aqueous media, which is why it dominates drainage and chemical piping.

How Polyvinyl Chloride is Manufactured

PVC is made by polymerising vinyl chloride, with the process determining the particle structure and therefore the application.

• VCM feed. High-purity vinyl chloride monomer, with acetylene and iron controlled to low ppm.
• Suspension polymerisation. VCM droplets suspended in water with protective colloid and peroxide initiator at 50 to 70 °C; the volume route.
• Emulsion polymerisation. Finer particles made with surfactant and water-soluble initiator, then spray dried, for paste applications.
• Bulk polymerisation. No water phase, giving the cleanest resin for clear film and bottles.
• Monomer stripping. Unreacted VCM is stripped to very low residual levels, a critical health and regulatory step.
• Drying and classification. The resin is dried and classified to the particle size and bulk density the grade requires.

Typical Commercial Specification

Figures below are representative of a general-purpose suspension PVC resin. Each K value and grade has its own data sheet — tell us the application and we will send the matching one.

Physical & Chemical Properties

Behaviour in the process

PVC is defined by its thermal sensitivity, which governs every aspect of processing:

• Degrades with HCl release. Thermal degradation starts near processing temperature and autocatalyses; a stabiliser package is mandatory, not optional.
• Narrow processing window. The gap between fusion and degradation is small, which makes temperature control critical.
• Absorbs plasticiser. Suspension resin particle structure is engineered for plasticiser uptake in flexible compounds.
• Inherently flame retardant. The chlorine content gives a limiting oxygen index around 45%, far above hydrocarbon polymers.

PVC Types and Alternative Polymers

PVC is bought by polymerisation type and K value, and the two together determine what the resin can make.

Stated plainly: PVC competes with polyolefins in pipe on cost, stiffness and fire performance rather than on any single property. Within PVC, the type is fixed by the process — a paste application cannot use suspension resin, whatever the price.

Industries We Supply Polyvinyl Chloride To

PVC is overwhelmingly a construction material, with cable, healthcare and packaging behind it.

Where Polyvinyl Chloride is Used

Pipe, fittings and building profile take the majority of PVC, with cable, flooring and film sharing most of the rest.

Stabilisation and compounding

PVC always requires a stabiliser package — calcium-zinc, organotin or, historically, lead — plus lubricants, fillers, impact modifiers and, for flexible compounds, plasticisers. The compound formulation determines processing behaviour and end properties as much as the resin K value does, which is why PVC conversion is a formulation discipline in a way that polyolefin conversion is not.

K value selection

K value maps to molecular weight: K 65 to 67 for pressure pipe where mechanical strength matters, K 57 to 60 for injection moulding and clear film where flow matters, and K 70 or above for flexible compounds that need to absorb high plasticiser loadings. Higher K gives better properties but requires more energy and tighter temperature control to fuse.

Quality Control & Testing

Every lot is released against a batch-specific Certificate of Analysis, with K value and residual VCM reported because the first defines the grade and the second is the health specification.

• K value — by solution viscosity, the primary grade measure.
• Bulk density and particle size — controlling conveying, feeding and compounding behaviour.
• Residual VCM — measured in ppm because it is a regulated health specification.
• Volatiles and water — confirming drying performance.
• Fish eyes and foreign particles — predicting defects in film and clear applications.
• Plasticiser absorption and whiteness — for flexible compounds and heat stability assessment.

Common Process Problems & Likely Causes

When PVC causes trouble, it is usually stabiliser, temperature, K value or moisture. This table is the shortcut our technical desk works through before anyone opens a complaint file.

Packaging, Storage & Shipping

• Standard packing. 25 kg bags, 500 to 1250 kg jumbo bags and bulk containers or silo trucks.
• Storage. Dry, covered warehousing; PVC resin is hygroscopic enough that damp storage causes bubbles in the extrudate.
• Temperature. Ambient storage away from heat sources; prolonged warmth can begin degradation of unstabilised resin.
• Dust control. Resin powder is dusty; use enclosed conveying with extraction and earthing.
• Grade segregation. Keep K values and types clearly separated; they are indistinguishable by eye.
• Contamination control. Keep silos and lines clean; foreign particles show as defects in clear and thin-wall products.
• Shelf life. Typically 12 to 24 months in sealed bags in dry storage.
• Transport classification. Not classified as dangerous goods for transport.

Hazards & Safe Handling

PVC resin is an inert powder with no significant health hazard in normal handling, provided residual VCM is within specification. The real concerns are dust, thermal decomposition fumes and the compound additives rather than the polymer.

• Inert in normal handling. PVC resin is not classified as hazardous. Residual VCM is controlled at 1 ppm or below.
• Thermal decomposition. Overheating releases hydrogen chloride, which is corrosive and irritating. Ventilate processing areas and never let material stagnate hot in the barrel.
• Dust exposure. Resin powder is dusty; use extraction and dust masks during bag emptying and blending.
• Compound additives. Stabilisers, plasticisers and modifiers carry their own hazards; the compound SDS governs, not the resin SDS.
• Fire behaviour. PVC is inherently flame retardant but produces dense smoke and HCl in a fire; fire plans should account for that.
• Environment. Resin loss to the environment should be contained; recycling streams exist for both rigid and flexible PVC.

Regulatory & Compliance Notes

PVC resin is unregulated for transport, with residual monomer, food contact and drinking water rules applying by application. The notes below are orientation rather than legal advice.

• GHS classification. PVC resin is not classified as hazardous.
• Residual VCM limits. Regulated at 1 ppm or below in resin, with stricter limits for food contact and medical applications.
• Food contact. Food grade compounds must comply with EU 10/2011, FDA regulations or equivalent, covering additives as well as resin.
• Drinking water approval. Potable water pipe requires national approvals such as WRAS, KTW or NSF 61.
• Additive regulation. Lead stabilisers are banned or restricted in many markets, and some phthalate plasticisers are restricted in toys and medical devices.
• Transport. Not classified as dangerous goods. Standard packaged and bulk cargo documentation applies.

We Supply Polyvinyl Chloride Worldwide

Chelora Chemicals is a supplier and export partner, not a single-plant trader. We ship Polyvinyl Chloride from India and from partner sources to customers across Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and North and South America, handling the export documentation, transport paperwork and freight so the material arrives ready to use.

• Incoterms. EXW, FOB, CIF, CFR and DAP quoted to suit your purchasing terms and freight arrangements.
• Ports. Regular shipments through Nhava Sheva (JNPT) and Mundra, with other ports arranged where routing and cargo rules allow.
• Documentation. Commercial invoice, packing list, certificate of origin, COA, SDS and the transport declaration issued as a complete set.
• Flexible volumes. From a pallet of bagged resin up to repeat bulk shipments on a supply contract.
• Supply continuity. Because we are independent of any one producer, a plant turnaround or a shipping disruption at one source does not have to become your stock-out.

Buying Polyvinyl Chloride from Chelora

We are an independent sourcing and supply partner. For PVC that means settling three things at enquiry: the polymerisation type your process needs, the K value for your application, and whether medical, food contact or potable water documentation is required.

• Documentation on every lot. Batch-specific COA (K value, bulk density, residual VCM), plus SDS and the full transport paperwork.
• Analysis before commitment. Representative analysis shared ahead of a commercial order so your lab can qualify the material.
• Quantities. From a pallet of bagged resin through to full bulk shipments on contract supply.
• Grade matching. Suspension, emulsion or bulk PVC at the K value, bulk density and residual VCM level your application requires.
• Inspection. Independent third-party inspection available at loading when the contract requires it.
• Related products. Vinyl Chloride Monomer, Dioctyl Phthalate, Dioctyl Terephthalate and other feedstocks alongside Polyvinyl Chloride from one supplier.

How ordering works

• Send the enquiry. Product, grade or purity, quantity, destination port and the Incoterm you buy on. If you have a spec sheet, attach it — it saves a round trip.
• We quote. Price, lead time, packing format and a sample COA, normally within one working day.
• Qualify the supply. For first orders or critical applications, we share the analysis and handling documentation so your technical and safety teams can sign off before you commit.
• Confirm the order. Proforma invoice issued; payment terms agreed against the volume and the relationship.
• Allocation and QC. Material allocated and released against a batch-specific COA, with an independent inspection where the contract calls for it.
• Ship and document. Filled, labelled and loaded with the full export document set, and tracked through to arrival.

Related Products

Buyers of PVC often source compound inputs alongside it — plasticisers and the monomer chain are commonly bought on the same programme.