What is PVC ?

The acronym PVC stands for Poly Vinyl Chloride, which is  one of the oldest (1930) and mostly used plastics. Thanks to its mechanical properties, it offers a great ability to be modified as necessary at an extremely competitive cost. In addition, it can be recycled many times.

Composition of PVC
PVC is the result of the synthesis of chlorine and ethylene (also called ethene).
Chlorine is produced by electrolysis of salt and ethylene comes from the refining and  steam cracking of oil.
The reaction between ethylene and chlorine allows to manufacture vinyl chloride monomer (VCM), which, after polymerization, is transformed into polyvinyl chloride (PVC). It is sold in form of a white powder similar to granulated sugar.

The Compounding

Depending on the desired qualities (flexibility, transparency, color...), several additives are added to PVC: plasticizers, dyes, stabilizers... This ensures the mechanical performance of the product and its performance over time while providing it with  special features. This mixture is called "compound".

It comes in pellet form.

The Extrusion

The pellets are then converted into strips and panels by extrusion. Extrusion allows to obtain different sizes of strips and panels. The final product is sold in form of narrow rolls (strips) and large rolls (panels) of various thicknesses and lengths.

Extruflex know-how has been covering the complete field

of PVC transformation for more than 50 years.