Abstract
Failure of unplasticized poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC-U) pipes and fittings may be related to any factors, such as design, installation, abuse and/or manufacturing. A successful failure investigation may require detailed analysis of all these factors to determine the primary cause of failure. This paper will review current techniques that use aggressive chemicals to qualitatively assess the quality of this PVC pipe or fitting. The paper will also review a technique that utilizes differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). This technique can accurately determine the temperature at which the part was manufactured. It is also able to determine the percent gelation of the PVC material, which is directly related to the mechanical properties of the part.
