Difference Between PVC and CPVC

Understanding The Difference Between PVC and CPVC

There are many different kinds of plastics today. They are used from varying purposes and that includes serving as a primary material for deck building. But before we discuss what a PVC decking material is, let us first learn the difference between PVC and CPVC.

What Is CPVC?

Chlorinated polyvinyl chloride or CPVC is a thermoplastic that plays a vital role in the field of engineering. It is relatively low cost, possesses high glass transition, chemical inertness, and excellent dielectric, mechanical, as well as smoke and flame properties.

In the early 1960s, Lubrizol commercialized CPVC and it has been used in different industrial applications ever since. CPVC is a polymer of polyvinyl chloride or PVC and it has undergone a chlorination reaction. The difference between PVC and CPVC is with the latter, 40% of the bonding sites that are comprised of chlorine atoms. CPVC’s carbon backbone is surrounded by large chlorine atoms that provide protection against a possible attack to the chain.

CPVC is an extremely versatile and flexible compound that can be made into different geometries of product forms with the use of standard molding methods, mainly injection molding and extrusion. A few of the products commonly made out of CPVC are pipe and fitting, ducting, as well as sheet and lining,

CPVC piping is also used for various commercial applications. It is used for chemical processing, commercial plumbing, including cold and hot water, power generation, waste water treatment, and even mineral processing. This material also gives an efficient, safe, and flexible system that can be used in the hospitality, retail, healthcare, and education sectors. This type of material is manufactured to handle varying temperature and weather conditions and even extreme pressure.

What Is PVC?

Apart from PET and PP, one of the most widely used thermoplastic polymers today is PVC or polyvinyl chloride. Excluding the additions of plasticizers, PVC plastic pipe fittings are brittle and naturally white hued. It has been around far longer than other kinds of plastics. It was first synthesized in 1872 and made commercially available by B.F. Goodrich Company in the 1920s. On the other hand, other plastics were synthesized and commercially produced at a much later date, at around the 1940s and 1950s. Since its inception, it has long been used in the construction industry and a range of other sectors like health care and clothing.

PVC has two basic types – the rigid (RPVC) or unplasticized polymer (UPVC) and flexible plastic. The flexible or the regular PVC is softer and bendable compared to UPVC. It is used as flooring for homes, boards for residential and commercial deck installation. Meanwhile, rigid PVC (RPVC) is used as pipes for plumbing systems and sidings.

The most significant properties of the best PVC products are as follows: It is denser than most plastics, readily available in the market, cost-effective, durable, and excellent tensile strength. Just like other things, it also has some disadvantages like poor heat stability. But despite its shortcomings, PVC is a great product that possesses a unique set of qualities that make it extremely useful in the construction industry like in building a deck at home.

PVC Decking: All You Need To Know

If you thought that wood is the only available product that can be used to build a new deck, you’re wrong! Apart from composites, PVC decking is extremely popular in the decking industry. It has been around for more than ten years and since its introduction, it has continued to become a top contender when talking about good standard deck building materials. Unlike when it first appeared in the market, this all vinyl or plastic decking material is now available in different colors and smooth surface.

Producing PVC decking materials is not an easy process. The panels need to go through a complex process called co-extrusion. After that, the boards are coated and bound with an external shell made of plastic. Producing the boards for commercial use is not easy either not only because the materials will be temperamental and difficult to work with but also because around one eight of the deck panels made cannot be sold and therefore discarded. The entire process of making PVC decking material is very delicate and that means ingredient mixing should be done carefully and all steps must be conducted with precision and as required.

PVC decking boards are famous for its various advantages. Resistance to mold and mildew growth, staining, and fading are just a few. This product is also marketed as low maintenance, can withstand varying outdoor temperatures, and only requires a standard wash. In terms of weight, PVC is much lighter than composites and it can be shaped and bent for purpose of custom configurations.

Please contact Futurewood if you want to use PVC decking materials for your outdoor decking project and you need expert help to get you started. You can also check our website for tips and other informative resources that may help you with your decking or fencing project.