A Brief History Of Pvc Pipes

 Around the world, plastic pipes find widespread use in a number of applications. This has to do in part due to their higher resistance to corrosion and anti-rust properties, which is also the basis for their discovery. The first plastic material to be used for water pipe applications was polyvinyl chloride, or PVC, with earliest use dating back to the pre-WWII era, sometime in the 1930s. Since then, PVC has been widely used for water supply and management and other water-based applications.

Even though PVC was first discovered back in 1835, it took almost a century for it to be used in plumbing as sanitary pipe fittings and pipes. In the initial days, PVC was being used to manufacture utility and sports items as shoe heels, raincoats, and items of other importance during the World War.

During its initial discovery, PVC showed high temperature resistance, resisting damage of up to 130 degree Celsius. However, PVC sanitary pipe systems are not heat resistant and easily degrade even when exposed to hot water.

The reason however, for the use of PVC in the manufacture of pipes and fittings, stems from its extreme durability. With a view to find a replacement for conventional metal pipes which were prone to damage, cracks and leaks, PV pipe connector and pipes were chosen, providing more reliable efficiency over the long term.

While the first PVC tubes were discovered in 1932, it took several more years for pipes and sanitary pipe fittings of PVC to be used in plumbing at a larger scale. The first PVC pipes involved the use of PVC powder to make a sheet on a rolled mill and then processing in an extruder to make the pipe. However, this method was not every successful and the quality of the resultant PVC pipes too was inadequate. Nevertheless, they did find use in water supply pipes and waste water drainage pipes on account of being tasteless, odourless and corrosion resistant.

Over the years, many more advancements were made, improving the quality of the PVC pipes and fittings, which made them suitable for widespread use in domestic, commercial, and industrial applications for water supply and management.

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