Materials for Design

PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride)

Put bluntly, PVC smells like sick. It is inexpensive and is often used as a cheap replacement for natural materials, such as imitation leather, but it is one of the most widely used plastics in the world. It’s found in everything from credit cards to roof membranes and has come to define cheapness, and in recent years has been considered a generally unhealthy plastic.

One of the reasons for its widespread use is that, like polyurethanes, PVC is extremely versatile and can be produced as thermosets, thermoplastics and in elastomeric forms. These range from a powdery, dry feeling PVC to the rubbery stickiness of a child’s swimming inflatable. Another reason for the popularity of PVC is its low cost and the stability of ...