Drawing No. EH–MT–020 // Engineering Materials
PVC Properties
Reviewed August 2026
PVC-U pressure-pipe material is used as the PVC reference. It is stiff for a thermoplastic, has low thermal conductivity and a thermal expansion coefficient far above metals.
Representative properties
Switch units without changing the underlying material reference.
What changes these properties?
Engineering variability
- Elastic modulus and tensile strength decrease as temperature rises and under long-duration loading.
- PVC-U pipe design is commonly based on long-term pressure/stress performance rather than one short-term yield number.
- PVC is amorphous and does not have a sharp crystalline melting point; Vicat softening is more useful for engineering reference.
- Additives and formulation change density, impact behavior and thermal properties.
Selection note
Common in water, drainage, conduit and chemical-service applications where corrosion resistance and low cost dominate; temperature, creep, impact and compatibility need explicit checking.
Do not combine strength from one grade/condition with modulus, thermal data or temperature limits from another without checking compatibility. Where the overview shows a range, it is intended to expose variability—not establish allowable bounds.
Property interpretation
Stiffness vs strength
Young’s modulus controls elastic deformation. Yield or fracture strength controls how far the material can be stressed. These are separate material characteristics.
Thermal response
Thermal conductivity controls temperature gradients, specific heat contributes to thermal inertia, and expansion controls thermally induced strain when movement is restrained.
Temperature transition
The final property card is deliberately labeled “melting / transition.” Metals often have a solidus–liquidus range; amorphous polymers and glass use softening or glass-transition concepts; concrete and wood decompose instead of exhibiting one clean melt point.
Technical sources
Source hierarchy favors manufacturers, industry associations, standards bodies and government engineering references. Strength data must still be reconciled with the exact procurement specification.