Editing Thermoplastic (section)

==Polyvinyl chloride==
[[Polyvinyl chloride]] (PVC) is a tough, lightweight material that is durable, fairly rigid and versatile, and is resistant to acids and bases. PVC is used by the construction industry, such as for vinyl siding, drainpipes, gutters and roofing sheets. It is also converted to flexible forms with the addition of plasticizers, thereby making it useful for items such as hoses, tubing, electrical insulation, coats, jackets and upholstery. Flexible PVC is also used in inflatable products, such as water beds and pool toys. PVC is also a common material in [[Polyvinyl chloride|vinyl]] [[action figures]], especially in countries such as [[Japan]], where the material is used extensively in so-called Sofubi figures (Soft vinyl toys<ref>{{Cite web |last=j.lerouge |date=2020-12-26 |title=What the Heck Is Sofubi?! 10 Things You Didn't Know About Soft Vinyl |url=https://blog.invasiontoys.com/what-the-heck-is-sofubi-10-things-you-didnt-know/ |access-date=2022-07-08 |website=Invasion Toys News |language=en-US}}</ref>). As PVC bends easily and has a tendency to be bent during transit, a method to mitigate this deformation is to heat the plastic until it becomes mobile, then reform the material into the desired shape.

PVC is produced in many specific modifications to affect its chemical and physical properties.  In plasticized polyvinyl chloride (pPVC), [[plasticizer]]s are added to the raw material before molding to make it more flexible or pliable.  Early on, the health and environmental aspects of this were poorly understood and replacements and product bans resulted after studies. The original form is often referred to as unplasticized polyvinyl chloride (uPVC), which is the more commonly used type for installations such as water, waste, and sewer conveyance plumbing.

Chemical modification often produces more drastic changes in properties. [[Chlorinated polyvinyl chloride]] (CPVC) is produced through exposing PVC to the continued free-radical [[chlorination reaction]] that originally formulates the PVC polymer. The chlorination reaction continues to add [[chlorine atom]]s to the polymer [[hydrocarbon]] backbone until most commercial applications reach a percent range between 56 and 74% total chlorine.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.corzan.com/en-us/metal-v-cpvc-piping-systems|title=How does CPVC piping compare to metal piping?|website=Corzan Industrial Systems|language=en-us}}</ref> This increase in elemental chlorine content contributes to CPVC's increased expression of chlorine-based characteristics, such as chemical durability, resistance to acids, bases, and salts; susceptibility to ammonia-based compounds, aromatics, esters, ketones;<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://plasticpipe.org/pdf/tr-19_thermoplastic_pipe_for_transport_of_chemical.pdf|title=Chemical Resistance of Thermoplastics Piping Materials TR-19/2007|website=Plastic Pipe Institute, Inc. (PPI)}}</ref> chemical stability; heat energy transfer resistance. CPVC is commonly used in water, chemical, hot and cold, delivery systems for residential, commercial, and industrial applications.