Types of Plastic
There are many types of plastic but some of them like PVC, RPVC, HDPE, GRP and FRP, coloured plastic sheets are mostly used as a construction material.
PVC:
PVC means "Poly Vinyl
Chloride". We all call this plastic at the hardware shop as PVC.
Structurally, PVC is a vinyl
polymer. It is similar to polyethylene, but on every other carbon in the
backbone chain, one of the hydrogen atoms is replaced with a chlorine atom. It
is produced by the free radical polymerisation of vinyl chloride.
Globally, over 50% of PVC is
manufactured products are used in construction.
As a building material, PVC
is cheap and easy to assemble.
In recent years, PVC has been
replacing traditional building material such as wood, concrete and clay in many
areas. The various products made by PVC used in plumbing and sanitary systems.
Properties of PVC:
It is resistant to fire also
It is resistant to water so can be used as water-pipes.
It has flame resistance, too,
because it contains chlorine.
PVC is resistant to
corrosion. It has light weight.
It has excellent insulating
property.
Uses of PVC:
There are many uses of PVC.
Let’s discuss some of them as below:
Since it has a good
resistance to water, it is used to water, it is used to make raincoats, shower
curtains and water pipes.
As a hard plastics, it is
used as vinyl siding, magnetic strip cards, window profiles, gramophone
records, pipe, plumbing and conduit fixtures.
It is also used in 'plastic
pressure pipe systems' for pipelines of the water and sewer industries because
of its inexpensive nature and flexibility.
It can be made softer and
more flexible by the addition of plasticizers, the most widely used being
phthalates. In this form, it is used in clothing and tubing, flooring, to
roofing membranes and electric cable insulation.
RPVC (Rigid Polyvinyl Chloride) Or UPVC:
It is also termed as UPVC
i.e. Unplasticized Polyvinyl Chloride.
RPVC or UPVC is often used in
the building industry as low maintenance material particularly in the UK and in
the USA.
The material comes in a range
of colours and finishes, including a photo-effect wood finish.
Due to environmental
concerns, the use of PVC is discouraged by some local authorities and in
countries like Germany and The Netherlands. Because PVC contains plasticizers,
which creates the problem to the environmental point of view.But UPVC does not
contain plasticizers and good towards the environmental aspect.
SAPL
has strong distributors and dealers network throughout the Maharashatra and
neighbouring states such as Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka etc. It has very good appreciation
in highly irrigated districts such as Kolhapur, Sangali, Jalgaon, Solapur and
Pune.
The material comes in a range
of colours and finishes, including a photo-effect wood finish and is used as a
substitute for painted wood.
A rigid polyvinyl chloride
pipe comprises a strip member with U-shaped cross section.
Properties of RPVC or UPVC:
It is more rigid and having
very good tensile strength.
RPVC or UPVC is more durable,
strong and hard.
It has high resistance to
chemical action and corrosion.
RPVC or UPVC has great
stability.
Applications of UPVC or RPVC:
UPVC or RPVC is often used in
the building industry as a low maintenance material.
It is used as a substitute
for painted wood.
It has many other uses
including fascia and sliding or weather boarding.
It is used for plumbing and
drainage which consists of waste pipes, drain pipes, gutters and down pipes.
It has almost entirely
replaced the use of cast-iron for plumbing and drainage.
HDPE (High-Density Polyethylene):
The high density polyethylene
(HDPE) or polyethylene high density (PEHD) is a polyethylene thermoplastic. It
is prepared from ethylene by a catalytic process.
HDPE takes 1.75 kg of
petroleum in the terms of energy and raw material, so as to make 1 kg of
high-density polyethylene.
Properties of HDPE :
HDPE has high tensile
strength.
It has good impact
resistance.
HDPE is light weight and has
very low moisture absorption.
It has good chemical
resistance and high rigidity.
HDPE is harder and more
opaque.
It can withstand temperature
upto 120°C or 248°F for short periods and 110°C continuously.
It has stronger
intermolecular forces and tensile strength than the lower density polyethylene.
HDPE unlike polypropylene
cannot withstand normally required auto claving conditions. The lack of
branching of HDPE is ensured by an appropriate choice of catalyst.
It is resistant to many
different solvents.
HDPE is corrosion and
chemical resistant.
Applications of HDPE :
HDPE motors are preferred to
steel or PVC tubes because they are more durable and safer as compared to steel
or PVC.
It is used for pipe fittings,
wear plates, hinges and cutting boards.
HDPE is resistant to many
different solvents.
It gives the corrosion
protection for steel pipelines.
It is used for making water
pipes for domestic water supply. It is used in piping system since it is
resistant to chemical actions.
HDPE is used for cell liners
in subtitle D sanitary land fills, wherein large sheet of HDPE are either
extrusion or wedge welded so as to make a homogeneous chemical- resistant
barrier with the view of preventing of pollution of soil and ground water by
the liquid constituents of solid waste.
HDPE is used for natural gas
distribution pipe systems and geothermal heat transfer piping systems.
It is also used for making folding
chairs and tables.
It has also many applications
in various engineering fields.
Other uses of HDPE include pipe fittings, wear plates, hinges and cutting boards. HDPE is readily available in many forms such as sheet, rod and tubing for fabrication.