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A Short History of Plastisol:
Plastisol products and coatings would not have been
possible without the development of Polyvinyl
Chloride in Germany about 1910.
In the 1920s researchers were looking for a substitute for relatively
scarce natural rubber then used in tire manufacturing. The result was
plasticized polyvinyl chloride, or what we refer to today as PVC.
In the 1930s other automotive uses for PVC were developed including
shock absorber seals.
Plastisol is a solution of PVC resin in a liquid plasticizer,
(a plasticizer is an additive to plastic resins that make them more flexible,
workable, or improve their ability to stretch, or to be molded and thermally
cured to hold a desired shape.)
During World War II Plastisol replaced unavailable natural rubber as a
wire insulation material. It provided molded covers for shock absorbers
on military aircraft and a protective and comfortable material for covering
hand tool grips such as pliers and cutters. There are many other applications.
When Industry returned to civilian production at the end of the war it
was of course natural that Plastisol continued to be used and was adapted
to civilian products. Its use has grown dramatically in the intervening
60 plus years since.
Dip Molded and Dip Coated Plastisol products have grown in use, and have
remained so popular because they provide a cost effective and durable
solution for many commercial, industrial and consumer products.
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