Comparison
PVC Rigid Pipe vs Polycarbonate
A side-by-side comparison of Rigid Polyvinyl Chloride for Pipe Applications and Polycarbonate.
Physical
Density
1.30-1.45 g/cm³
1.20 g/cm³
Water Absorption (24h)
0.1-0.4 %
0.15 %
Transparency
Opaque
Transparent (88% light transmission)
Shrinkage
0.5-1.5 %
0.5 – 0.8 %
Mechanical
Young's Modulus
2.5-4.0 GPa
2.3 – 2.4 GPa
Tensile Strength
45-60 MPa
60 – 70 MPa
Elongation at Break
5-20 %
100 – 150 %
Impact Strength (Izod)
20-50 J/m
600 – 900 J/m
Flexural Strength
—
90 – 100 MPa
Hardness (Rockwell M)
—
70
Thermal
Glass Transition Temperature
70-80 °C
147 °C
Melting Point
N/A (degrades above 160°C)
—
Continuous Service Temperature
50-60 °C
115 – 130 °C
Heat Deflection Temperature
60-70 °C
130 – 140 °C
Thermal Conductivity
—
0.20 W/m·K
CTE
—
65 – 70 × 10⁻⁶ /K
Electrical
Dielectric Constant
3.0-3.5
2.9 – 3.0
Volume Resistivity
10¹¹-10¹³ Ω⋅cm
10¹⁶ Ω·cm
Dielectric Strength
15-25 kV/mm
15 kV/mm
Chemical resistance
Acids
Excellent resistance
—
Bases
Excellent resistance
Poor
Solvents
Attacked by ketones, esters, chlorinated and aromatic hydrocarbons
—
UV Resistance
Poor (requires stabilization)
Poor (unless coated)
Acids (dilute)
—
Good
Alcohols
—
Fair
Oils
—
Good
Gasoline
—
Fair
Acetone
—
Poor (attacks)
Sustainability
Recyclability
Recyclable
Recyclable
Recycling Code
3 (PVC)
7
Carbon Footprint
Moderate to High
~5 kg CO₂e / kg
Bio-based Content
—
0 – 50 % (bio grades)