What is uPVC?
Polyvinyl Choride (PVC) is a chemical compound of chlorine, carbon and hydrogen. The components of PVC originate from the naturally occurring raw materials of petroleum or natural gas and common salt. The ‘u’ stands for unplasticised and means that the material has not been softened by the addition of chemicals known as plasticizers.
PVC was produced for the first time in 1935 and has been industrially manufactured in large quantities for over 50 years. It has been developed into a material that can offer a wider range of properties and therefore has many different applications. Total PVC productions can be split approximately into the following applications:
- 55% Construction Industry
- 16% Packaging History
- 4% Furniture
- 4% Cars
- 2% Electricity Industry
- 19% Others (including Medical and Horticultural)
The production process starts with sodium chloride, (common salt) from which chlorine gas is obtained by electrolysis. Petroleum or natural gas is used to produce ethylene, one of many products of the process known as cracking. Bringing together chlorine and ethylene, liquid vinyl chloride (VC) is produced which is immediately changed in the process by polymerisation into polyvinyl chloride.
uPVC FOR DOORS
The basic material properties of uPVC make it ideal for door application. These properties include:
- Does not rot or biologically decompose
- Is resistant to weathering with low maintenance requirements
- Is tough on impact
- It retains its shape within normal climatic temperatures
- It can be reshaped at high temperature and can therefore be recycled
uPVC FOR WINDOWS
Pure uPVC is not quite suitable for window profiles. A small amount of stabilisers and additives are required, the mix of which may differ between manufacturers.
The basic material properties of uPVC make it ideal for window application. These properties include:
- Does not rot or biologically decompose
- Is resistant to weathering with low maintenance requirements
- Is tough on impact
- It retains its shape within normal climatic temperatures
- It can be reshaped at high temperature and can therefore be recycled
uPVC FOR CONSERVATORIES
A uPVC conservatory may also be known as PVC, uPVC or a plastic conservatory.
The most commonly used material in conservatory manufacture is uPVC or unplasticised polyvinyl chloride (ridged plastic). This is also referred to as vinyl in America. The general reason that uPVC is used today in 100,000 of applications including uPVC conservatory manufacture is because uPVC is a thermoplastic - a substance that loses its shape when heated and then becomes ridged again as it cools. Heat shapes uPVC into countless useful forms making it easy to produce uPVC conservatory extrusions.
Where additional strength is required the uPVC is reinforced with aluminium or other metals. The reinforcement takes place, for example, in the conservatory roof bars and uPVC conservatory frames or doors.
