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Closed-cell PVC foamboard is a lightweight rigid material used primarily in the manufacture of signs and displays. It is considered robust for outdoor use, being immune to rain and resistant to wind and sunlight.
In 1912, the first patents for polyvinyl chloride (PVC) were founded in Britain and Germany. It was not until the early 1930s that PVC was able to be produced cheaply, limiting its marketable applications for the time. World War II helped make the substance popular, as manufacturers used it to make an assortment of items for soldiers. It was here that PVC's water resistance was shown to be an important property, and tools made from PVC were used in many marine applications. After the war, PVC was not a popular choice of materials in the marine industry due to its density. In the 1970s, the need for a strong, moisture-resistant material led to plastic manufactures working with PVC to make it lighter. This led to the creation of PVC foamboard, by combining PVC with polyurea at the molecular level. [1]
PVC foamboard is made up of an interpenetrating polymer network between PVC and polyurea. Now, the manufacturing process has become much more involved. First, polyvinyl chloride and polyurea are mixed together under controlled conditions. The mixture is then dispensed into a mold (commonly square as to make the foamboards). The filled mold is sealed by clamping the sides shut and then put into a large press where it is heated. After, a slab of solid material emerges from the mold. The material then undergoes a hot bath in order to expand it to a final density and is cured. The material is then ready to be cut into sheets of varying sizes and thickness, depending on purchaser requirements. [2]
PVC foamboard is distinct from the extra-lightweight foamcore board, laminated of foam and card surfaces, used for indoor signage and modelling. Like PVC, closed-cell PVC foamboard is solid and has a very rigid structure. Where it differs is in its closed-cell foam structure, which makes it very light (as little as half the weight of solid PVC), highly resistant to moisture and some chemicals, and very easy to cut and shape. It also has thermoplastic properties, and begins to soften at around 65 °C (149 °F). Typically, closed-cell PVC foamboard can be cut as easily as wood, softened and shaped by immersing in boiling water or with a standard heat gun, and painted with standard automobile paints. In addition, Closed-cell PVC foamboard is made up of polarized molecules otherwise known as dipoles.
It has a very low moisture absorption. The mixture of polyvinyl chloride and polyurea has a good bond strength. Closed-cell PVC foam takes solid shape due to its linear structure. However, due to this structure, it is more brittle than open-celled PVC foam. It is available in densities varying from 3 to 25 pounds per cubic foot (0.048 to 0.400 g/cm3). [3] It has a low flammability rate. [4] A universal cross-linked closed-cell PVC that was used in a comparison with three heat-resistant cross-linked had a glass temperature of 83.2 °C. However, there are issues using PVC that can affect one's health and safety when in use. [5]
Closed-cell PVC foamboard is mainly used for industrial and manufacturing purposes. The material is primarily used in the manufacturing of signs and displays which are used for promotion ads, as well as road signs. [6] Its appealing material properties have made it popular among the makers of scale models and theatrical props. Builders who create yachts and composites used for experimental aircraft are typically found using PVC foamboard. This type of PVC foamboard is well resistant to weather and sunlight, and can thus be used to protect other, more damage-prone products. [7]
One drawback to PVC materials is that hot working them produces noxious fumes containing hydrochloric acid and potentially even dioxins. These are a respiratory hazard in a workshop, and the acid fumes are so serious that they may damage equipment. Some heat-based processes, notably laser cutting, are generally considered impossible, owing to the equipment risk. [8] Where PVC materials are cut by laser, this is a highly specialized process requiring adapted machines and acid-specific fume extraction and filtering. [9]
Polyvinyl chloride (alternatively: poly(vinyl chloride), colloquial: vinyl or polyvinyl; abbreviated: PVC) is the world's third-most widely produced synthetic polymer of plastic (after polyethylene and polypropylene). About 40 million tons of PVC are produced each year.
Polyurethane refers to a class of polymers composed of organic units joined by carbamate (urethane) links. In contrast to other common polymers such as polyethylene and polystyrene, polyurethane term does not refer to the single type of polymer but a group of polymers. Unlike polyethylene and polystyrene polyurethanes can be produced from a wide range of starting materials resulting various polymers within the same group. This chemical variety produces polyurethanes with different chemical structures leading to many different applications. These include rigid and flexible foams, and coatings, adhesives, electrical potting compounds, and fibers such as spandex and polyurethane laminate (PUL). Foams are the largest application accounting for 67% of all polyurethane produced in 2016.
A thermoplastic, or thermosofteningplastic, is any plastic polymer material that becomes pliable or moldable at a certain elevated temperature and solidifies upon cooling.
Foams are two-phase material systems where a gas is dispersed in a second, non-gaseous material, specifically, in which gas cells are enclosed by a distinct liquid or solid material. The foam "may contain more or less liquid [or solid] according to circumstances", although in the case of gas-liquid foams, the gas occupies most of the volume. The word derives from the medieval German and otherwise obsolete veim, in reference to the "frothy head forming in the glass once the beer has been freshly poured".
In materials science, a thermosetting polymer, often called a thermoset, is a polymer that is obtained by irreversibly hardening ("curing") a soft solid or viscous liquid prepolymer (resin). Curing is induced by heat or suitable radiation and may be promoted by high pressure or mixing with a catalyst. Heat is not necessarily applied externally, and is often generated by the reaction of the resin with a curing agent. Curing results in chemical reactions that create extensive cross-linking between polymer chains to produce an infusible and insoluble polymer network.
Wood–plastic composites (WPCs) are composite materials made of wood fiber/wood flour and thermoplastic(s) such as polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), or polylactic acid (PLA).
Memory foam consists mainly of polyurethane with additional chemicals that increase its viscosity and density. It is often referred to as "viscoelastic" polyurethane foam, or low-resilience polyurethane foam (LRPu). The foam bubbles or ‘cells’ are open, effectively creating a matrix through which air can move. Higher-density memory foam softens in reaction to body heat, allowing it to mold to a warm body in a few minutes. Newer foams may recover their original shape more quickly.
Polyamide-imides are either thermosetting or thermoplastic, amorphous polymers that have exceptional mechanical, thermal and chemical resistant properties. Polyamide-imides are used extensively as wire coatings in making magnet wire. They are prepared from isocyanates and TMA in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP). A prominent distributor of polyamide-imides is Solvay Specialty Polymers, which uses the trademark Torlon.
Ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), also known as poly(ethylene-vinyl acetate) (PEVA), is a copolymer of ethylene and vinyl acetate. The weight percent of vinyl acetate usually varies from 10 to 50%, with the remainder being ethylene. There are three different types of EVA copolymer, which differ in the vinyl acetate (VA) content and the way the materials are used.
Vinyl composition tile (VCT) is a finished flooring material used primarily in commercial and institutional applications. Modern vinyl floor tiles and sheet flooring and versions of those products sold since the early 1980s are composed of colored polyvinyl chloride (PVC) chips formed into solid sheets of varying thicknesses by heat and pressure. Floor tiles are cut into modular shapes such 12-by-12-inch squares or 12-by-24-inch rectangles. In installation the floor tiles or sheet flooring are applied to a smooth, leveled sub-floor using a specially formulated vinyl adhesive or tile mastic that remains pliable. In commercial applications some tiles are typically waxed and buffed using special materials and equipment.
Foamcore, foam board, or paper-faced foam board is a lightweight and easily cut material used for mounting of photographic prints, as backing for picture framing, for making scale models, and in painting. It consists of a board of polystyrene foam clad with an outer facing of paper on either side, typically white clay-coated paper or brown kraft paper.
A blister pack is any of several types of pre-formed plastic packaging used for small consumer goods, foods, and for pharmaceuticals.
Plastic lumber is a plastic form of lumber made of virgin or recycled plastic. It is mostly made of plastic and binders such as fiberglass or rebar; not to be confused with wood-plastic composite lumber. Widely employed in outdoor decking, it is also used for molding and trim and garden furniture such as park benches. Resistant to cracking and splitting when appropriately installed, plastic lumber can be molded with or without simulated wood grain details. Even with a wood grain design, plastic lumber is still easy to distinguish visually from natural timber: the grains are the same uniform color as the rest of the material.
Building insulation materials are building materials that form the thermal envelope of a building. As thermal insulation they reduce the heating energy requirement or the cooling load of buildings ; they can also provide soundproofing.
Rigid panel insulation, also referred to as continuous insulation, can be made from foam plastics such as polyurethane (PUR), polyisocyanurate (PIR), and polystyrene, or from fibrous materials such as fiberglass, rock and slag wool. Rigid panel continuous insulation is often used to provide a thermal break in the building envelope, thus reducing thermal bridging.
Plastic pipe is a tubular section, or hollow cylinder, made of plastic. It is usually, but not necessarily, of circular cross-section, used mainly to convey substances which can flow—liquids and gases (fluids), slurries, powders and masses of small solids. It can also be used for structural applications; hollow pipes are far stiffer per unit weight than solid members.
Monobutyltin trichloride, also known as MBTC, is an organotin compound. It is a colorless oil that is soluble in organic solvents. Relative to other organotin compounds, MBTC is obscure and not widely used.
A thermoset polymer matrix is a synthetic polymer reinforcement where polymers act as binder or matrix to secure in place incorporated particulates, fibres or other reinforcements. They were first developed for structural applications, such as glass-reinforced plastic radar domes on aircraft and graphite-epoxy payload bay doors on the Space Shuttle.
A polymeric foam is a special foam, in liquid or solidified form, formed from polymers.
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