On August 22, 2024, the China Plastics (Yuyao) Plastic New Material Industry Development Conference was held in Yuyao, Ningbo. With the theme of “New formats, new values, new opportunities, and new development”, the conference gathered experts, scholars, and business representatives in the industry to discuss the industry’s current development status and challenges, to seek a breakthrough path and achieve common progress. The meeting pointed out that the current PVC industry has overcapacity, weak demand, and other current problems, which require the PVC industry to find a way to break the law of their development: transformation and upgrading are imminent.

Analysis of the Current Situation of the PVC Industry

Industry status

PVC occupies an important position in the plastics industry. It has a huge market share in the world and is the third-largest synthetic polymer plastic. It also has a wide range of applications in several industries and makes a significant contribution to many of them. Therefore, there is no doubt that PVC will continue to play a key role in the plastics industry.

Market trend

From the supply side, with the improvement of production efficiency, the supply side still maintains an incremental trend, and the industry has experienced overcapacity.

From the demand side, due to the downward trend in the global environment and the demand for PVC in the off-season, the demand for PVC products in the downstream products industry is gradually weakening. For example, the downturn in the real estate industry has led to a decline in PVC demand.

Research and Development Direction of the PVC Industry

The research and development direction of the PVC industry mainly focuses on improving product performance, optimizing the industrial chain, and reducing environmental impact. The following are several specific research and development directions:

High-performance PVC

High-performance polymer materials are the focus of innovation and strategic transformation for multinational companies and developed countries. To tackle the shortcomings of polymer materials, the key is to improve basic technology and use the advantages of the country’s rich rare earth resources to break through technical bottlenecks. Taking the research direction of key special projects in Inner Mongolia as the reference target, rare earth-modified polylactic acid heat-resistant and toughened composite material improves its performance.

Optimize the industrial chain

Optimize the synergy between the PVC industry’s upstream and downstream, achieve a community of destiny, ensure the stability and reliability of the supply chain, and work together to promote the stability and long-term development of the domestic PVC industry.

Environmentally friendly and low-carbon

Develop more biodegradable or recyclable PVC alternative materials to reduce the use of harmful substances. This is in line with the current global concern for environmental protection and sustainable development and is also an important direction for the future development of the PVC industry. For example, hard PVC waste can be recycled into recycled resin and used in other fields. This brings the transformation and upgrading of manufacturers to think: can you change from a pure PVC composite material manufacturer to a recycling integrated solution provider?

Successful Cases of PVC Usage Scenarios

Innovative application scenarios of PVC under natural disasters

In the wake of catastrophic weather conditions triggered by Hurricane Helen, the area faces serious natural threats. As the hurricane approached, Tampa General Hospital, the only facility in the area with Level 1 trauma care, could not ensure the safe transfer of patients and had to prepare for the storm’s challenges. To prepare for potential flooding from Hurricane Helen, the Tampa General Hospital team moved ahead the day before Hurricane Helen made landfall, installing the AquaFence flood control system. AquaFence is a flood wall made of reinforced PVC, laminate, and steel, designed to allow rapid deployment in extreme environments and reuse depending on demand and storage conditions. It is worth noting that after the installation of this flood wall, its stability and strength will be further enhanced by the action of water pressure. Although forecasts suggest waves could reach 20 feet in some areas, beyond AquaFence’s nominal 15-foot protection capability, Aquafence has done a good job of holding back flooding in the field. This line of defense built by AquaFence creates an insurmountable security barrier for Tampa General Hospital. AquaFence’s successful practice demonstrates the applicability of PVC innovations in natural disaster prevention.

Solutions Provider for PVC Production Lines: Choose us

PVC imitation marble sheet extrusion line

It shows high economic benefits

PVC decorative board has excellent flame retardant performance, in line with the relevant national fire standards
Its excellent waterproof and moisture-proof properties make it capable of long-term stable use in high-humidity environments
Strong wear resistance, hardness index up to 3H to 6H
Compared with natural marble, the weight of PVC decorative board is only one-fifth of the former, and the cost is only one-tenth of it

Sustainable use

It has good resistance to insects, fungi, and chemical corrosion, ensuring its long service life

PVC/PVC-WPC foam board extrusion line

durability

The material is strong and durable and has high scratch resistance
Its structure is stable and does not appear to rot, deform, stratification, or distortion
It has excellent resistance to wind erosion, saltwater corrosion, impact resistance, and wear resistance

Safety and environmental protection

The material is non-toxic, 100% recyclable, and has flame-retardant and self-extinguishing properties
Because its surface is easy to clean, little additional maintenance and protection is required

160mm PVC double pipe production line

Efficient production performance

The production unit is equipped with a separate empty chamber, which can separately control the pipe cooling on both sides, thereby effectively improving the cooling efficiency
With an independent discharge port design, the output of the production line is further improved
The use of a separate control system not only increases the production speed but also achieves a high degree of precision in length-cutting
A grid-free cutting machine with a chamfering function minimizes material loss during cutting

Support multiple production needs

Optional twin-tube in-line flaring machines are available to meet diverse production needs