Synthesis, Modification, and Applications of Poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC)

One of the polymers with the biggest production volume is poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) considering their versatility, durability, lightweight, as well as low cost of production, plastics have recently become an essential part of everyone’s daily life. However, the increased production and usage of plastics poses significant environmental problems because of their incomplete utilization, a lengthy biodegradation period, and detrimental effects on living things. This study examines the latest findings in PVC research, including its properties, polymerization, modification, recycling, and diverse applications. It has been proposed that during PVC production, along with the application of both inorganic and organic thermal stabilizers, can mitigate some of the basic limiting characteristics of PVC. This chemistry has been extended by vast continuous study, mainly by the chemical transformations of this polymeric material. This study describes the chemical modification of PVC using different materials as an active modifying agent. The latter included substitutions, PVC modifications, nucleophilic radicals, removal or dehydrochlorination, and grafting polymerizations. PVC’s environmental consequences are examined, and an overview of PVC functionalization is provided in this article, along with a discussion of the main PVC reactivity trends using the lens of chemical recycling.