---
title: "Rigid PVC — density, melting point and properties"
description: "Rigid PVC has a density of 1,400 kg/m³ (1,380–1,450). Melting point, strength, conductivity, what it is used for, and whether it floats, rusts or is magnetic."
url: https://atoneplace.net/material/pvc-rigid/
site: "At One Place"
---

# 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

*Water is 1,000 kg/m³. Anything below that floats.*

| 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?](https://atoneplace.net/does-it-float/pvc-rigid/)
- [PLA](https://atoneplace.net/material/pla/)
- [ABS](https://atoneplace.net/material/abs/)
- [Acrylic (PMMA)](https://atoneplace.net/material/acrylic/)
- [Polycarbonate](https://atoneplace.net/material/polycarbonate/)
- [Polypropylene](https://atoneplace.net/material/polypropylene/)
- [PTFE](https://atoneplace.net/material/ptfe/)
- [HDPE](https://atoneplace.net/material/hdpe/)
- [Epoxy resin](https://atoneplace.net/material/epoxy-resin/)

## Sources

- Typical range compiled from manufacturer specifications — At One Place (/about/)