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You may be familiar with the term PVC, especially in relation to things like construction, the most common form being PVC pipes. But, do you know anything else about the material, or how much is made and how much we've come to rely on it? Well, plastic molding is a practice that has been continually improving for decades, as well as the entire PVC industry. First of all, PVC is an acronym for polyvinyl chloride, and in raw form can be morphed into many products with long shelf lives and reasonable prices. You can find the material PVC in things that you wouldn't even think would hold it, like ceiling tiles, portable electronics, and signs that you see on the street. Over time, PVC has taken a huge lead in plastics manufacturing, and with its easy flexibility and manufacturing process, there's really no surprise why. It is even approximated that by 2016, production of PVC will exceed at least 40 million tons, looking at our current output.

As can be expected by the name, polyvinyl chloride is actually a vinyl polymer, made up of several vinyl groups (ethenyls). These vinyl groups have one of their hydrogens replaced with a chloride group, thus making PVC plastic. This plastic is so popular in the industry, that it is actually the third most widely used, with polyethylene and polypropylene coming in first and second. Not only is it such a breeze to make, but for specific products, in can be made to be more flexible and much softer with the use of plasticizers.

So many more products were able to be constructed in such a short period of time, and in huge quantities, since the discovery of plasticization of the polymer. Hoses, electrical cable insulation, and even fabrics are constructed with the use of polyvinyl chloride. Many different plasticizers are employed in the process, but the most likely one to be used by a manufacturer is phthalates. Due to the fact that this plasticized PVC is is so flexible and durable at the same time, things like inflatable pool toys and waterbeds.

The process that produces PVC is polymerization of something called a VCM, a vinyl chloride monomer. Generally, manufacturers of PVC put the thermoplastic through what is called suspension polymerization. Raw vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) is put through a machine and goes through a vigorous system, including intense heating and shaping of the material. Then, it is put through a cooling mechanism in order to retain its shape, and besides a few finishing touches that experts in the field put on the product, finalize the PVC manufacturing process.

PVC was discovered by accident at least two different times during the 19th century; once in 1835 by Henry victor Regnault, and again in 1872 by Eugen Baumann. They found that when they left raw vinyl chloride monomer out in the sun, white chunks began to form along the inside of it. Neither men did anything with what they found however, and the process was not able to expand until the 20th century. Ivan Omstromislensky and Klatte attempted to manipulate the plastic but found it too impossible to work with.

Waldo Semon and the B.F. Goodrich Company came up with the idea of plasticizing the material with the use of different additives. They thought that this would dilute the material and make it more flexible and much easier to work with, and they were right. With the introduction of this plasticizing process in 1926, PVC was allowed to flourish at a completely new level. All of the different applications that were now made possible thanks to plasticization grew in huge demand, and companies had to step it up.

The product most often created out of PVC would have to be piping, which unsurprisingly makes up more than half of all polyvinyl chloride production. PVC pipes have been hugely adopted by such industries as sanitary sewer construction and water distribution. In addition to its being light weight and low-priced, its quite easy to connect PVC piping, to run great distances underground. It's also extremely durable, so the piping can stay good for decades before having to be replaced.

There's no doubt that plastic molded products is completely essential to our way of lives; just think, where you're sitting right now (in your house, job, etc.) there is probably miles of PVC just underneath your feet. When you go about your daily life after today, just try and think about how many of the things you pass that are made out of PVC. Things like racing stripes on the sides of vehicles and advertising signs are made from this incredibly versatile plastic. PVC can be flattened and cut to make thin things like this by a computer-controlled machine!