PVC can be divided into two materials: hard PVC and soft PVC. Hard PVC does not contain softeners, it has high hardness and is easy to store, while soft PVC contains softeners and has good softness.
1. Different ingredients
Although their main raw materials are PVC, they have some differences in ingredients. During the production of soft PVC, some softeners are added, which makes the finished product have good flexibility, good bendability, can be folded in half, can be curled, and easy to shape. There is no softener added to hard PVC during production, so it is not easy to shape, fragile, and cannot be curled.
2. Different applications
Because soft PVC has good flexibility, it can be used to make tablecloths, floors, ceilings, etc., while hard PVC is mainly used to make plastic boxes, PVC pipes, profiles, etc.
3. Different characteristics
From the characteristics point of view, soft PVC has good stretch lines, is extensible, and has good high and low temperature resistance, so it can also be used to make transparent tablecloths. The use temperature of hard PVC generally does not exceed 40 degrees. If the temperature is too high, hard PVC products may be damaged.
All in all, the main difference between soft PVC and hard PVC is their hardness. When we purchase, we can distinguish them by their hardness and feel.