When was pvc first used

While many people may not realize just how long the synthetic plastic has been around, there is actually a host of evidence that shows PVC polyvinyl chloride was first created at least a century ago.

The story peculiarly begins in two separate years— and —when French physicist Henri Victor Regnault and German chemist Eugen Baumann respectively discovered PVC for the first and second time.

Following these independent discoveries, no one actually mastered the use of PVC in commercial applications until , when a German inventor by the name of Friedrich Heinrich August Klatte decided to take out the first patent on the material. Around the early 20th century, B. Hence, none of them paid any significant attention to this new material. PVC was first patented by another German chemist Friedrich Heinrich August Klatte in for his documented process of polymerizing vinyl chloride using sunlight.

Even after this recognition, PVC still eluded industries due to its rigid and sometimes even brittle nature. It took more than a decade for scientists to develop a process of chemically taming this new thermoplastic. In , Waldo Semon along with B. This endowed PVC with a lot more flexibility and it became easier to process further as suitable for commercial uses. CPVC is recommended for HOT water distribution because it can handle temperatures up to degrees Fahrenheit, where as PVC is good for up to degrees Fahrenheit, though both are safe for potable water distribution.

I recall that PVC waste pipe was only sold in grey when introduced in the s. Black and white became readily available later on. Does anyone know when these options became available? I am not after an exact date just an approximate time. Major problem with underground plastic water lines, is tractability. Understand copper wire laid parallel with the installation is an answer.

True or untrue Paul. Your email address will not be published. Skip to content. Menu Menu. So when did it become nationwide in the USA or in states like wyoming for example?

Joe July 4, pm. Scott July 23, pm. Lisa Cosby September 18, pm. Anthony September 20, am. John Simpson October 28, am. Atul January 3, am. Mary Bellis. Inventions Expert.

Mary Bellis covered inventions and inventors for ThoughtCo for 18 years. She is known for her independent films and documentaries, including one about Alexander Graham Bell. Updated February 20, Featured Video. Cite this Article Format. Bellis, Mary. History of Vinyl.

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