Is PVC same as silicone?

PVC material is not silicone material, they are two different materials. The full name of PVC is Polyvinylchloride, and the main ingredient is Polyvinyl chloride. PVC is an amorphous white powder with poor stability to light and heat. Stabilizers must be added in practical applications to improve the stability to heat and light. PVC used to be the world’s largest production of universal plastic, widely used.

The silicic acid gel is one of the highly active adsorbent material. Silica gel is mainly composed of silica, which has stable chemical properties and does not burn. Silicon raw material is a transparent or milky granular solid, with an open porous structure, strong adsorption, adsorption of a variety of substances. Silica gel can be reused after regeneration.

What are the advantages of silicone products and PVC products? What are the differences in performance and usage? From the point of use, both overlap in terms of gifts.

The characteristic of PVC soft rubber

1. Low liquidity: PVC is an amorphous material with a low moisture absorption rate and poor liquidity. In order to improve the fluidity and prevent bubbles, PVC material can be dried in advance.
2. Easily decomposed: PVC is easier to decompose when being contacted with steel and copper at 200°C, and it will give off a corrosive, irritating gas as it decomposes. Its molding temperature range is small.
3. Good chemical stability: PVC is a kind of flame retardant, it has good chemical stability. At the same time, its material characteristics also include high strength, high stiffness, and high hardness.
4. Strong corrosion resistance: PVC is most suitable for chemical industry corrosion protection equipment. PVC is easy to process as it is good electrical insulation.

The characteristic of Silicone

1. Temperature resistance: Silicon products have high thermal stability, and the chemical bonds of molecules do not break or decompose under high temperatures. Silicone is resistant to high and low temperatures and can be used over a wide range of temperatures.
2. Long Service life: Silicone products are not easily broken down by ultraviolet light and ozone. Silicon has better thermal stability, radiation resistance and weather resistance than other polymer materials. The service life of silicon in a natural environment can reach several decades.
3. Electrical insulation: Silicon products have good electrical insulation. Their electrical performance is little affected by temperature and frequency. Silicon also has excellent water repellency, which is the high reliability for electrical equipment in wet conditions.
4. Physiological inertia: Polysiloxanes are the most inactive compounds known. They are resistant to biological aging, no rejection of the animal body, and have good anticoagulant energy.

The difference between PVC rubber and silicone gel

1. Different in material: PVC materials include common materials and environment-friendly materials, also known as ATBC-PVC, while silica gel can be certified by ROHS, which is environmentally friendly.
2. Different in the process: PVC products are made of polyvinyl chloride and oil together with color paste, and its raw materials are made by heating and cooling microinjection epoxy process. But the silica gel only needs to use the silica gel to add the color masterbatch to suppress and deploy in mixing machine, then put them in the mold by the heating and cooling to take shape.
3. Different in character: Silicone products are more cold-resistant and more heat-resistant than PVC products. Tableware made of silicone can be heated in a microwave, while PVC can’t.
4. Different outside: From the appearance, PVC products are rougher than silicone products, silicone products have a smooth and shiny surface.
5. Different in touching: According to the hand feeling, the silicone product is soft with good toughness and elasticity, while the PVC soft rubber is relatively less hard. The softness and hardness of both can be adjusted, but the PVC does not have tenacity.
6. Different in burning: Silica gel products are generally transparent, with small burning smell and powder, while PVC products will turn black after burning and smell bad when burning.
7. Different in the cost: The raw material price of PVC products is low, which is made of synthetic materials. Silica gel is more expensive than PVC products in production and manufacturing.

From the above differences, we can see that silicone is safer than PVC, which is more suitable for food and medicine materials. PVC products have a greater price advantage, more suitable as promotional gifts and other materials. It is of great importance to choose a safe and reliable PVC manufacturer who does not add harmful substances to your PVC products.

If you are interested in PVC products, you could buy custom PVC products at GS-JJ.com. GS-JJ Company has rich experience in producing PVC gifts. Those who are interested in PVC products can visit GS-JJ.com for more details.

Pictures resource from:
PVC VS Silicone raw material:
https://www.chinahao.com/product/36576947761/
www.enplaslifetech.com/tpe-vs-silicon
PVC VS Silicone keychain:
https://www.allcharacterstore.com/products/original-doraemon-soft-pvc-keychain
https://www.whambamdeals.com/products/ms-fighter-silicone-keychain
PVC products: https://www.siennapacific.com/soft-pvc-patches

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How to Distinguish Between 2D PVC Patches and 3D PVC Patches?

What is PVC Patch?

They are two different materials. Silicone material belongs to rubber material, while PVC belongs to plastic material.

Material characteristics

Silicone products are more cold-resistant and more heat-resistant than PVC products. Tableware made of silicone material can be heated in a microwave, while PVC can’t.

A: PVC is the world’s third-most widely produced

synthetic plastic polymer (after polyethylene and polypropylene[7]). About 40 million tons of PVC are produced each year. It is a thermoplastic polymer. Its properties are usually categorized based on rigid and flexible PVC.

The Raw Material of PVC:

The property of PVC：

B: Silicone rubber is an elastomer (rubber-like material) composed of silicone—itself a polymer—containing silicon together with carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. The Silicone products can pass the ROHS certification RoHS-certification.pdf and is environmentally friendly reach-certification.pdf.The Silicone products is  BPA and Phthalate free phthalate-free.pdf and biodegradable, long-term use, and other characteristics. 

There is two kind of silicone material. One is Solid silicone. One is Liquid Silicone Rubber.

The Raw Material of Solid Silicone.

The Raw Material of Liquid Silicone Rubber. 

Making Process

A: PVC-making process

PVC products are made of polyvinyl chloride and oil together with color paste, and its raw materials are made by heating and cooling microinjection epoxy process.

B: Silicone material only needs to use the silicone to add the color masterbatch to suppress and deploy in mixing machine, then put them in the mold by heating and cooling to take shape.

We usually use silicone compression molding when using solid silicone rubber.

We use Liquid silicone injection molding when using liquid silicone rubber.

Appearance difference

The Surface of PVC is Rough.

The surface of silicone products is smooth and shiny.

Touching difference

Hand touch feeling.

Silicone product is soft with good toughness and elasticity.

PVC is relatively hard.

The softness and hardness of both can be adjusted, but the PVC does not have tenacity.

Temperature difference

Silicone products have high thermal stability, and the chemical bonds of molecules do not break or decompose under high temperatures.

Silicone is resistant to high and low temperatures and can be used over a wide range of temperatures. The conventional temperature range of -40 ~ 230 degrees within the long-term use.

PVC material is a mainly white powdery amorphous material, density is 1.3-1.5, material vitrification temperature is within 90 degrees, the highest temperature resistance is 170 degrees.

With high temperatures, PVC will be automatically decomposed into hydrogen chloride, beyond the temperature range will automatically catalyze decomposition.

Burning Difference

Silicone products are generally transparent, with small burning smell and White powder.

PVC products will turn black after burning and smell bad when burning.

Rebound strength

Silicone material has a good silicon molecular connecting strength, the rebound strength will be much better.

PVC material products has poor rebound.

Cost difference

Silicone material is more expensive than PVC products in production and manufacturing.

The raw material price of PVC products is low, which is made of synthetic materials.

ZSR Group,all of our products include the Silicone baby products, Silicone Beauty&Health-care, Silicone Pets, Silicone Consumer Electronic Protective Cover, Silicone Housewares Products, Silicone Promotional Gifts all made by Food Grade Silicone material.

Conclusion

From the above differences, we can see that silicone material is safer than PVC, which is more suitable for food and medicine materials.

Any Silicone products or Silicone project need technical support, you could buy custom Silicone products at ZSR Group. ZSR Group has rich experience in producing Silicone products. Visit the ZSR Group website to get more details for the silicone products.

The buring video for Silicone or PVC

About Author:

Z.S.R International Group

Z.S.R International Group(Hong Kong) co., Limited,  is a one-stop supplier for molded silicone products and silicone products molding solution provider in the consumer products field. We offer OEM services from product design to Silicone products contact manufacturing. We have the capability for LSR molded silicone products, solid silicone molded products, molded silicone multi-colored products. We also can custom molded silicone, custom molded LSR, custom molded dripping injection dispensing (co-injection) silicone multi-colored products, custom tooling.