TempRite® Engineered Materials offers CPVC resins and compounds covering a wide spectrum of performance attributes. This allows more manufacturers worldwide to utilize CPVC’s inherent benefits in their product designs.
A range of resins having different molecular weights and chlorine contents, as well as a variety of compounds tailored to different part manufacturing processes make CPVC the smart way to get high performance products, profiles, parts and fittings.
Flexibility of CPVC Resin
CPVC resin is created through chlorination of the PVC molecular chain. Chlorine atoms surround the chain, stiffening the carbon backbone and driving the softening temperature higher. CPVC resin, when specified for material compounds provide a number of advantages:
- Heat resistance
- Fire and smoke characteristics
- UV resistance
- Resistance to corrosion
- Weatherability
- Environmental benefits
Resins can be created at varying molecular weights and chlorine contents which can vary its properties. Varying molecular weight allows for a range of mechanical strength, while varying chlorine content allows for a range of heat and fire resistance. The range of grades available makes CPVC adaptable to a variety of parts manufacturing processes, including extrusion, injection molding, thermoforming, and compression molding.
Flexibility of CPVC Compounds
CPVC resins require compounding with a variety of additives in order to make them processable into parts. These additives can take a number of forms:
- Heat stabilizers - to protect the polymer during high-temperature processing
- UV stabilizers - to protect the polymer for outdoor applications
- Impact modifiers - to improve durability and strength
- Processing aids and lubricants - to assist with the formation of products
- Pigments - to achieve desired plastic colour
The following characteristics can be scaled up or down depending on the quantity of additive in the material compound. It is worth keeping in mind that there is always a balance to be addressed, between the inherent strengths of CPVC and desired additive effect.
- Tensile strength
- Heat distortion temperature
- Long term creep performance
- Flame & smoke performance
- Impact strength
- Ductility
- Processability
Flexibility of Heat Resistance
The range of chlorine contents available means that CPVC compounds can be formulated to have maximum use temperatures ranging from 80°C to 110°C. This allows CPVC to be useful in a variety of intense industrial applications or where radiant heating from sunlight can cause other materials to fail.
Because CPVC is a rigid amorphous thermoplastic, it does not have a minimum use temperature as do semi-crystalline polymers such as PVDF and PPR. This makes CPVC ideally suited to applications where the operating or ambient temperature is well below freezing.
Flexibility of CPVC in Manufacturing
CPVC is suitable for a variety of parts manufacturing processes, including extrusion, injection molding, thermoforming, and compression molding. CPVC parts can be fabricated into assemblies by a variety of options including solvent welding, hot plate welding, rod welding, and extrusion welding. CPVC provides a number of benefits over other materials in parts manufacturing.
- ✔ Mold shrinkage/appearance - Because it is a rigid amorphous thermoplastic, CPVC generally has much less mold shrinkage than many other materials and produces parts with a smoother glossier surface.
- ✔ Thermoforming - CPVC gives manufacturers the ability to extrude sheets and re-mold them into other shapes.
- ✔ Vacuum forming - CPVC can be extruded into sheets and vacuumed down into different molds, offering a fast and flexible solution to many applications, such as signage, trays and shells.
- ✔ Foaming for lightweight applications - Amorphous materials such as CPVC can be extruded as foamed material, for a variety of lightweight applications. Polystyrene-like packaging can be manufactured and used with the inherent fire repellent properties of CPVC.
- ✔ Weldability - CPVC can be welded with solvents or with a variety of common welding techniques including hot-plate welding, rod welding, and extrusion welding.
- ✔ Recycling - CPVC can be reheated and remoulded after initial processing, minimising wastage in the manufacturing process.
Finding flexibility in material engineering not only saves valuable time and energy for manufacturers, it boosts the potential of any product portfolio, adding another layer of strength, stability or safety to a product that most polymers simply cannot achieve.
