Advantages of PVC Rod

    PVC rod has good hardness and mechanical properties
    Excellent electrical insulating properties
    Very high chemical resistance
    Very good moisture resistance
    Good dimensional stability
    Easily bondable and an excellent engineering plastic for welding
    Self-extinguishing
    Fairly inexpensive

Disadvantages of PVC Rod

    The heat stability of PVC isn’t great– when the temperature reaches 140 °C PVC starts to decompose and its melting temperature is 160 °C
    PVC is a good insulator but its electrical insulating property is not as good as polyethylene or polypropylene
    It is generally only suitable for medium or low voltage and low frequency insulation materials

How does PVC Rod perform?
Most products made with PVC are long lasting – up to and over 60 years. Because of this reliability throughout their service lives, maintenance or repair is reduced significantly.  It is the most widely used material in building and construction applications. PVC is resistant to oxidation and degradation and its inherent chlorine content gives it excellent fire resistance.

What is PVC Rod used for?
Common applications include chemical processing tanks, valves, fittings & piping systems. In addition, other applications include:                 

    Pump components
    Electrical insulators
    Acid tanks
    Templates
    Fabricated fittings
    Battery boxes

Why not to use PVC Rod?
PVC rod isn’t really a high wear application material like nylon or UHMWPE and also probably shouldn’t be used for components that will come into constant contact with food products or require great flexibility, low friction, or high temperature resistance.

Machining characteristics
PVC is reasonably hard. If possible use double edged milling cutters. When sawing using a circular saw, use saw blades with hard metal-inserted teeth and a tooth spacing of 10 to 20 mm as this has been found to be especially effective.

Is it easy to Glue and bond PVC Rod?
Gluing or bonding PVC is very easy, but is usually permanent and so cannot be easily undone. The only way to correct any bonding mistakes is to cut away the glued area. High frequency welding (gluing) is possible.

Food applications suitability
PVC rod is not FDA approved and so direct and or permanent contact isn’t recommended.

Does PVC Rod have good wear resistance?
PVC rod exhibits only reasonable resistance to high wear and abrasion. PVC is pretty tough and you will find PVC being used all over the place.

Chemical resistance
In general, PVC is suitable to withstand most strong acids, alkalis, aqueous solutions that are not strongly oxidizing, aliphatic hydro carbons, fluorides, photographic and plating solutions, brine, mineral oils, fats and alcohols. However, PVC rod should not normally be used with aldehydes and ketones, ethers, cyclic ethers, esters and aromatic and chlorinated hydrocarbons, nitro compounds, some petrol / benzene mixtures and similar solvents which lead to a marked swelling and softening of the material.

Unique characteristics
PVC pipes have recently been analyzed after in-ground use for over 35 years and have shown no detectable corrosion or degradation and have been estimated to possess at least another 50 years of service life.

Trade names (also known as):
Boltaron®
Geon®
Vintec®
Corzan®

Size range, colours and availability
Our PVC rods are available in grey colour from stock but black, red and cream is available within a day or two from order and in diameters ranging from 6m up to 300mm.

Why should you choose PVC Rod?
PVC rod is an pretty durable material that is stronger than some other plastics. It can typically withstand impacts many times that which completely shatter components made of Acrylic or Styrene. PVC is also extremely chemical resistant and resists attack or degradation from a wide range of chemicals, making it the material of choice in many tough industrial applications, as well as very good electrical insulation properties.

Summary
PVC rod is a durable material that is resistant to chemicals, acids, weather and abrasion. It can be machined and tooled into a vast variety of shapes and components. It is strong yet relatively lightweight, affordable and widely available. While it has a low melting point in comparison to some other plastics it has a good fire rating, it has a service life that will outlast the person who works with it!