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in Category: Blog, Polymers
27.8.2019

Polyvinyl chloride, PVC for short, is all around us. The practical plastic is used to make window profiles, pipes, tubing and vinyl records, for example. Adding plasticizers makes the material more elastic, perfect for cable sheaths, floor coverings and textile coatings.

However, the long-term use of PVC can be problematic: Studies show that the plasticizers used in soft PVC are food sources for microorganisms. This leads to a relatively fast degradation of the material: the soft PVC becomes brittle and stained (e.g. “pink stain”), yellowed and loses its resistance to heat, UV and weathering.

How can you protect your soft PVC and make use of it for as long as possible? Soft PVC utilized outside must be particularly resistant. It is therefore extremely important that the material is first treated with the appropriate protective function.

An antimicrobial treatment provides additional added value. In contrast to classic wet cleaning, which has been proven to have no notable effect, it prevents the growth and proliferation of bacteria and fungi on and in the polymer. Even dangerous MRSA pathogens can be reduced by 90 % within 30 minutes using this method! The University of Manchester (UK) has tested and proven this in along-term practical study in a heavily frequented public area.

Not only soft PVC can benefit greatly from this type of protection; people and the environment must not be forgotten. Keeping this in mind, ecological safety with regard to the material protection must be respected, avoiding phthalates, carcinogenic, and allergenic substances. The OEKO-TEX® certification is a helpful starting point concerning such topics.


How can I protect my PVC?

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