PVC
Polyvinyl chloride, (IUPAC Polychloroethene) commonly abbreviated PVC, is a widely used thermoplastic polymer.
It can be made softer and more flexible by the addition of plasticizers, the most widely used being phthalates.
In this form, it is used in fetish clothing.
In normal use the material is stable and believed to be nontoxic, but burning PVC separates the chlorine from the other constituents, and the chlorine gas is dangerous if inhaled.
PVC is made by polymerising vinyl chloride, CH2=CH-Cl. In this process, the double bonds of the vinyl monomers are broken to form single bonds and the molecules of the monomer form long strings joined by single bonds. There are no vinyl groups in the resulting polymer. It is important to confirm the absence of unreacted vinyl monomer in the final product, as the monomer is toxic and reduces the performance of the plastic.
