Problem with Plastics Report. The Uses and Hazards of PVC

Student's Name
Professor's Name
Subject
Date
The Uses and Hazards of PVC
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is one of the most widely produced plastic polymers. Each year, about 42 million tons of PVC are produced. Eugen Baumann was a German chemist who synthesized PVC after several years of experimentation and investigation (Ciacci, Passarini, and Vassura 108). Its appearance was white solid after Baumann had left the residue in the sunlight for over a month. In 1926, B.F. Goodrich Company and Waldo Semon were able to plasticize PVS after infusing it with various additives. They created a quickly processed material that was flexible and could be used commercially. PVC is processed through the polymerization of a VCM (vinyl chloride monomer) (Ciacci, Passarini, and Vassura 108). There are two popular methods used to process PVC: emulsion process, whereby soaps are used to extract the VCM in water, whereas the suspension process uses a pressure-tight reactor to mix the monomer and other additives. The reaction ensures that PVC resin is suspended and uniform in size. The method of processing PVC results in the production of toxic chlorine-based materials. These toxins accumulate in the food, water, and air. They are carcinogenic and harmful to plants and animals (Alam, Ohidul, Mukaddis, and Ding 121).
PVC is used in many ways on a commercial scale. The first way is to make construction materials such as ports, pipes, window framings, greenhouses, roofing, and insulation (Ciacci, Passarini, and Vassura 109). PVC can also be used to make domestic materials such as curtains, laminates, and drawer slides. The third use is to make packaging materials such as bottles, bottle caps, and punnets (Ciacci, Passarini, and Vassura 110). Other materials that PVC makes include insulation pipes, life jackets, credit cards, wellington boots, and sockets. PVC is helpful because it is thermoplastic (Yu 300). It is used to insulate and is durable. It is flame-retardant and flexible, which allows it to be processed at a low cost while ensuring minimal maintenance. PVC has chemical-resistant properties, which come in handy when handling corrosive chemicals.
People can recycle PVC plastic in two ways. The first is through mechanical recycling. The waste is reduced into smaller particles, melted, and remolded into other materials. The second way is through feedstock recycling. Chemi...