PVC-O | MATERIAL
Innovations in oriented PVC
Molecular orientation can boost the properties of PVC in certain pipe applications – and now, there are even moves to apply the technology new chlorinated PVC. Lou Reade reports
Oriented PVC – or PVC-O – is produced by ‘stretch- ing’ standard PVC-U to produce pipe with higher mechanical properties. It is generally used to transport potable water and its use is growing worldwide. However, in addition to the spread of PVC-O, one leading producer has also applied orientation technology to a variant of ‘standard’ PVC. Molecor of Spain – which makes both the machinery to produce PVC-O pipe as well as the pipe itself – has taken its research a step further by applying molecular orientation to chlorinated PVC (C-PVC).
“By applying molecular orientation principles to
C-PVC, we want to achieve a product with all the advantages of PVC-O but with greater temperature resistance,” said Ignacio Muñoz, CEO of Molecor. The company has adapted its molecular
orientation technology to make it applicable to C-PVC, he says.
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“Work in the formula of the C-PVC was required to be able to able to apply molecular orientation to this kind of pipe,” he said. The first samples of C-PVC-O pipe have already been tested – and preliminary results obtained, he said. The vision of the project was to determine whether C-PVC-O was “a competitive solution in manufacturing civil works pressure pipes in hot environments”. Some of the underlying aims included: checking whether orientation of C-PVC was actually possible; analysing the properties of any materials pro- duced; and, evaluating the economics of making ‘C-PVC-O products’.
Adapted technology In order to analyse the properties of C-PVC-O pipe, Molecor developed a way to apply orientation in the
October 2018 | PIPE & PROFILE EXTRUSION 21
Main image: Molecor’s Paraguay plant has an initial annual capacity of 3,000 tonnes of PVC-O pipe
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