Floors, shoes, hoses, tapes, piping, chairs, and more. You may have passed by one of these items without noticing that its raw materials are chlorine – obtained by electrolysis of sodium chloride, which is nothing more than table salt – and ethylene, derived from petroleum. It’s just that all of these everyday items are made of polyvinyl chloride, known as PVC, one of the most widely produced synthetic polymers in the world. “It is a type of plastic that has good stability, resistance and humidity, in addition to a good response to the action of the weather. This is why it is widely used in visual communication, interiors, hospitals and civil engineering”, explains the expert in the field, Evandro Capelasso, consultant and professor of graphic production in vocational training and co-author of the book “Graphic production: from project to product”.

But did you know that there are different types of PVC and each one is more recommended depending on the application?

Expanded, rigid and semi-rigid PVC: know the types of PVC

Rigid PVC, for example, is especially suitable for the manufacture of hard and sturdy parts, such as pipelines and technical parts.

Semi-rigid PVC, on the other hand, is a blend of rigid and flexible (the latter is commonly used in refrigerator curtains). Its main characteristic is its thinness, which allows it to be molded in great detail, even at low temperatures. This configuration also allows the material to be used for molds, packaging, credit cards, tags, labels, business cards, molds and thermoformed trays, among others. It can be printed with solvent-based inks using screen printing, direct UV printing on the sheet, or offset printing – a fast process suitable for high-volume production.

Finally, expanded PVC is ideal for internal or external visual communication – take the opportunity to read here how to use management software for visual communication – such as signs, displays and various panels. It is produced in sheets of different thicknesses – between 1 mm and 40 mm – which guarantees great versatility of the final product, since they can be chosen according to the needs of the project, without losing lightness and easy handling. In addition, it is sold in white sheets. Thanks to its smooth and finished surface, it can be digitally printed, screen-printed or covered with adhesive film, making it suitable for a wide range of projects. What’s more: Expanded PVC can be cut, sawn, molded, drilled, milled, riveted, sanded, glued, nailed and screwed. So you can see there’s a lot you can do with it, right?

Advantages of Expanded PVC

Among the main advantages of using expanded PVC in visual communication are the material’s resistance and therefore high durability, lightness and ease of installation, and sustainability.

For Evandro Capelasso, the most important aspect is sustainability:  “Being a durable material, expanded PVC requires little maintenance, which greatly reduces the amount of waste generated in the environment”, he said.

He adds:  “Another important feature of this material is the safety it offers. Expanded PVC sheets are self-extinguishing, i.e. they do not allow fire to spread, which is a big difference”.

The sum of these characteristics is what makes expanded PVC a good value for money: resistant and durable, with low environmental impact, low maintenance and long life, it is a common choice, for example, for the production of signs. “The signs are made by specially cutting, gluing or folding expanded PVC sheets, they are designed to be exposed to the action of time, so they are often painted with automotive paint, which further increases their durability”, explains Capelasso.

Finally, it is worth mentioning: PVC is durable, recyclable, produced with low energy consumption, but it is also resistant to the action of fungi, bacteria, insects and rodents, shocks and most chemical reagents. It is a good thermal, electrical and acoustic insulator, impervious to gases and liquids.

Expanded PVC applications for visual communication

Consultant and professor Evandro Capelasso lists some of the main applications of expanded PVC in visual communication:

  • Internal and external signs;
  • Display products;
  • Point of sale (POS) promotional materials;
  • Gifts;
  • Thermal and acoustic insulators in civil construction;
  • Fingerprints;
  • Cash letters;
  • Photo panels;
  • Scenarios or settings;
  • Display window decoration;
  • Booths for events; among others.

It has already been noticed that PVC is very present in indoor and outdoor environments, with different types of finishes, printing and painting. But whatever the application, Capelasso reinforces that the key is to know all its possibilities:  “The important thing is to have a good project and to know more about the versatility of this material in order to propose it to the client”, he concludes. So where do you start?