Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is the world's third-most widely produced synthetic plastic polymer, after polyethylene and polypropylene. About 40 million tonnes are produced per year. You can typically find PVC in two basic forms, rigid and flexible. Most window and door products make use of rigid PVC. Newer forms of PVC are becoming available, such as microcellular PCV (mPVC). mPVC is used in our RevoCell Windows.
PVC windows are made-up of rigid PVC extrusions. During the PVC extrusion process, pellets or granules of PVC are melted down and continuously squeezed through a specific shaped die. The resulting shape that comes out of the die is then cooled immediately. Sections of these extrusions are then cut, trimmed and assembled to make window frames, sash frames and other window components. mPVC window frames are made the same way, substituting rigid PVC for micro-cellular PVC.
PVC is a great material for windows because they can be formed into strong, light-weight shapes that can hold fasteners well. PVC can be capped with additional coloured PVC and aluminum to create long-lasting coloured frames and sashes. Window extrusions are typically high-gloss, weather resistant and easy to clean.
