PAWTUCKET, RI, U.S.A., Setptember 29, 2016: Designers, manufacturers, and merchandizers of consumer products containing PVC have access to plastics experts who can answer questions relating to the issues or concerns that have generated criticism of this versatile material, as an extension of the technical support offered by Teknor Apex Company.
For decades, PVC, or vinyl, has had widespread use in products throughout everyday life, such as coated fabrics, home furnishings, footwear, food containers, housewares, garden hose, appliances, and personal electronics. In recent years, companies that sell into these and other consumer markets have encountered criticism of PVC over issues like indoor air quality, recyclability, use of softening agents called plasticizers, and product combustion. Teknor Apex, a longtime innovator of PVC compounds for consumer markets, invites designers and brand managers to consult its technical specialists for information concerning these issues.
“PVC is the world’s second most widely used plastic, trusted for its reliable performance over many decades, prized for its versatility and economy, and continually improved through innovations in chemistry and processing,” said Mr. Pignataro. “Consumer goods companies tell us they greatly value this polymer, and Teknor Apex can help them deal with criticism by providing information to distinguish between the perceptions and the science of PVC.”
The new overview document focuses on four areas:
● Indoor air quality as affected by volatile organic compounds (VOCs). In fact, specially formulated low-VOC PVC compounds meet the air-quality standards of green-building rating systems.
● Recyclability, and the belief that PVC is non-recyclable. In fact, PVC, as a thermoplastic, is inherently recyclable. Nearly a billion pounds of pre-consumer vinyl is being recycled, and there is a growing movement to recycle post-consumer vinyl.
● Use of phthalate plasticizers, in light of recent regulations citing phthalates as potentially hazardous. In fact, PVC that has been made flexible by phthalate plasticizers has a use history of over 40 years in life-saving medical devices with no report of adverse effects on human health. Nevertheless, non-phthalate plasticizers are now readily available and in use by manufacturers.
● Product safety and combustion is an issue arising from the concern that plastics burn at a faster rate than other materials, and in the process release toxic emissions. In fact, PVC is inherently more resistant to combustion than other common plastics. Vinyl compounds meet the particularly stringent requirements for data and power cables installed in the air plenums of buildings. Release of dioxins from solid waste incineration depends more on the quality of combustion than on the makeup of the waste. Modern combustion systems for incinerating municipal solid waste reduce or eliminate emissions.
Teknor Apex is a supporting member of the Vinyl Institute, whose new publication Vinyl Verified provides information on the use of PVC in many markets, including consumer products. Visit www.vinylinfo.org.
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