Rigid PVC
Density of rigid PVC
1,400 kg/m³ (1,380–1,450)
1.40 g/cm³ · 87.4 lb/ft³
Unplasticized PVC — uPVC — is amorphous and softens from about 80 °C rather than melting, which is why hot water is never run through grey PVC waste pipe. It is naturally flame-retardant because of its chlorine content, which is also why burning it produces hydrogen chloride and why PVC is banned from some rail and tunnel interiors. It solvent-welds with a cement that dissolves and refuses the two surfaces into one piece, a genuinely stronger joint than the pipe wall.
Properties
- Density
- 1,400 kg/m³ (1,380–1,450) — 1.40 g/cm³
- Tensile strength
- 40–55 MPa
- Young's modulus
- 3 GPa
- Thermal conductivity
- 0.16 W/(m·K)
- Thermal expansion
- 55 µm/(m·K)
- Floats in water
- No
- Magnetic
- No
What it is used for
- Window frames and cladding
- Drain, waste and pressure pipe
- Guttering and fascia board
- Credit cards and ID cards
How it compares
Water is 1,000 kg/m³. Anything with a shorter bar than water floats in it.
air 1.2 kg/m³
expanded polystyrene foam 20 kg/m³
rigid polyurethane foam 40 kg/m³
Water — the float line 1,000 kg/m³
rigid PVC 1,400 kg/m³
tungsten 19,250 kg/m³
gold 19,300 kg/m³
platinum 21,450 kg/m³
| Material | Density | Relative to water |
|---|---|---|
| rigid polyurethane foam | 40 kg/m³ | 0.04× |
| expanded polystyrene foam | 20 kg/m³ | 0.02× |
| air | 1.2 kg/m³ | 0.00× |
| rigid PVC ← | 1,400 kg/m³ | 1.40× |
| platinum | 21,450 kg/m³ | 21.45× |
| gold | 19,300 kg/m³ | 19.30× |
| tungsten | 19,250 kg/m³ | 19.25× |
Does it rust?
Rigid PVC contains no iron, so it cannot rust. Whether it degrades depends on the material, not on oxidation.
Is it magnetic?
Rigid PVC is not a metal and has no ferromagnetic response.
Common questions
- What is the density of rigid PVC?
- 1,400 kg/m³ (1,380–1,450), or 1.40 g/cm³.
- Does rigid PVC float?
- No. At 1,400 kg/m³ it is denser than water.
- Is rigid PVC magnetic?
- Rigid PVC is not a metal and has no ferromagnetic response.
Related pages
- Does rigid PVC float? No
- PLA 1,240 kg/m³
- ABS 1,050 kg/m³
- Acrylic (PMMA) 1,180 kg/m³
- Polycarbonate 1,200 kg/m³
- Polypropylene 905 kg/m³
- PTFE 2,170 kg/m³
- HDPE 955 kg/m³
- Epoxy resin 1,150 kg/m³
Sources
- Typical range compiled from manufacturer specifications — At One Place