There are significant differences between UPVC and PVC in many aspects. These differences are mainly reflected in material, quality, scope of use, added materials, performance, price, construction methods, etc. Their main differences are as follows.
1. Basic materials and ingredients
- UPVC: The full name is Unplasticized Polyvinyl Chloride, and its Chinese name is hard polyvinyl chloride. The “U” in UPVC represents PVC raw materials without added plasticizers. During the manufacturing process, UPVC does not add plasticizers, so all the chlorine in its raw materials will evaporate.
- PVC: The full name is Polyvinyl Chloride, and its Chinese name is polyvinyl chloride. Plasticizers are usually added to PVC during the manufacturing process, which results in residual chlorine in the PVC material that cannot be completely evaporated.
2. Quality and performance
- UPVC: has better quality, higher hardness, and strong corrosion resistance. It is suitable for a variety of application scenarios, such as industrial sewage, food-grade ultrapure water, etc. UPVC material is lightweight, with a specific gravity only 1/5 of cast iron, making it easy to transport and install. In addition, UPVC also has good chemical resistance, electrical insulation (non-conductive, not subject to electrolytic corrosion) and fluid properties (smooth inner wall, small fluid loss).
- PVC: Generally of poor quality, low hardness and easy to age. PVC pipes are mostly used in situations such as household sewage pipes where corrosion resistance and durability are not required. Toxic stabilizers (such as lead salts) may be added to PVC during the production process, which may cause hidden dangers to human health and the environment.
3. Scope of use
- UPVC: Due to its superior performance and quality, UPVC is widely used in water treatment equipment such as industry, building sewage pipes, food-grade ultrapure water, reverse osmosis, and electroplating equipment.
- PVC: Mainly used in household sewage pipes, wire and cable sheathing pipes and other occasions that do not require high performance.
To sum up, there are significant differences between UPVC and PVC in terms of basic materials, quality performance, scope of use, price, construction, and health and environmental impacts. When choosing to use, comprehensive consideration should be based on specific needs and scenarios.
