What is PVC fabric for inflatable boats.

PVC or Polyvinyl chloride as it's called by plumbers is one of the vert important of modern plastics. It is the material used to make PVC plumbing pipes, the tough, durable insulation around household electrical wire, and the shiny covering on a floor. In current modern society we can not get by a single day without mulitple encounters with PVC, and it's safe to say our society wouldn't be the same without it. Let get to the subject and talk about PVC as it applies to inflatable boats.

The PVC used to make inflatable boats is essentially the same stuff used to make plastic plumbing pipes. The major difference is that the material used to make inflatable boat PVC fabrics airtight has various component added to make it more flexible and softer than the average plumbing pipe. Dyes are also added to give the PVC fabric particular colors.

PVC-covered inflatable boats fabric is cheaper than Hypalon fabric, but the big advantage of PVC fabric over Hypalon fabric is that seams can be cold welded quickly and efficiently. Seams on a Hypalon or Hypalon boats, on the other hand, must be hand-glued by highly skilled workers using a glue pot and brush.

However, PVC dose has several issues as a inflatable boat material. It is photodegradabie. In direct sun light PVC fabric slowly breaks down. If you leave a PVC inflaable boat out in the sun for long period of time, it will begin to fade out or become sticky. Many quality manufacturers of PVC inflatable boats protect their products with ultraviolet coatings similar to the UVAs (ultraviolet absorbers) in marine varnishes and paints.