Why PVC Should Continue to Be Manufactured

1. By Jozlynne Taylor and Danny Tyszka Why PVC Should Continue to Be Manufactured

2. Location in Distillation Tower • PVC is found in the gasoline section of the distillation tower because it has a boiling point of 176◦ F.

3. Cost • PVC costs about $800-1000 per ton which is about $.40-.50 per pound.

4. Time of Manufacturing • There is no set time for the creation of PVC pipes because they are created by the mixing of resin through friction, then is continually cooled to form what could be theoretically be a never ending tube.

5. Transportation • PVC is transported by appropriate commercial transportation modes. • It is easy to transport.

6. Research and Development • Little research is being done into limiting the amount of petroleum and plastic used in PVC pipes. PVC pipes is in the top twenty of petroleum based products that use the least amount of petroleum.

7. Benefits to Mankind/Earth/Living Organisms • Safe. • Cost-effective. • Has a service life of over 100 years. • It is non-corrosive. • Uses raw material that is energy efficient to make. • Uses less non-renewable sources than competitors. • Recyclable. • Provides material for leather look a like products • Used in jackets, coats, skiing equipment, shoes, aprons, and bags because of its waterproof qualities. • Used in medical field in objects such as: tubing for blood giving and taking sets, catheters, heart-lung bypass sets, and haemodialysis sets.

8. Process Involved in Manufacturing Single screw extruder

9. Process involved cont. Process Flow Chart

10. Process video http://www.endlessvideo.com/watch?v=drvAlPXZBhI

11. Process • PVC pipes are created by starting with a molten mixture of the material and shaping them around a cast. The casts are made to be the exact width of the pipe. The mixture is poured into a cast and surrounded by an outer shell. The complete set is then placed into an oven to be cooked. Once the pipe has solidified, it is cooled and moved into finishing. Sections of the pipe are then cut based on common sizes and needs. The sections are then coated in a chlorine solution to prevent harmful bacteria from growing during shipping and use. Once the coating is dried, the ends of each section are finished. If the pipe is a smooth connection, the top of the pipe is sanded down to ensure a perfectly flat surface. For fitted pipes, a machine engraves a series of grooves into the pipe. As the grooves are cut, high-pressured water is sprayed on the pipe to remove excess PVC fragments. After the grooves are added, the ends are smooth and the sections are sent into testing.

12. Risk if not Manufactured • If PVC was not manufactured, we would lose access to a safe material to use for water and sewer. • Competitive bidding would go down. • It would be harder to provide clean drinking water. • It would cost more to provide clean drinking water and sanitary disposal systems.

13. Disposal of Waste By-Products • The manufacture of PVC pipe produces very little waste. Clean materials that are suitable are recycled into other products as allowed by product Standards or sold to recyclers. Material that is unsuitable for reuse is typically sold for application that do not require the superior performance characteristics required by pipe.