poly(vinyl alcohol)

polymer

Poly(vinyl alcohol) is a synthetic polymer produced by hydrolyzing polyvinyl acetate, resulting in a material with hydroxyl groups along its backbone that confer water solubility, film-forming capability, and strong intermolecular hydrogen bonding. It is widely used in packaging films, textile sizing, adhesives, and water-soluble applications where its biodegradability and excellent barrier properties to gases and oils make it preferable to conventional polyolefins. Engineers select PVA when applications require dissolving or disintegrating films, when food-contact safety and environmental degradation are priorities, or when adhesion and tensile performance in dry conditions outweigh moisture sensitivity concerns.

water-soluble packaging filmstextile sizing and warp protectionbiodegradable adhesivespharmaceutical capsule coatingsfood packaging barriersrelease liners and temporary molds

Compliance & Regulations

?UL 94?Conflict Free?RoHS?REACH?TSCA?Prop 65
PropertyValueUnitConditionsSource
Compressive Strength(σc)
Pa
Elongation at Break(εf)
-
Flexural Strength (MOR)(σf)
Pa
Hardness (Vickers)(HV)
HV
Ultimate Tensile Strength(σUTS)
Pa
Young's Modulus(E)
Pa
Verified Unverified Low confidence (<80%) Link to source
PropertyValueUnitConditionsSource
Glass Transition Temperature(Tg)
K
Melting Point / Solidus(Tm)
K
Maximum Service Temperature(Tmax)
K
Thermal Conductivity(k)
W/(m·K)
Verified Unverified Low confidence (<80%) Link to source
PropertyValueUnitConditionsSource
Band Gap(Eg)
eV
Verified Unverified Low confidence (<80%) Link to source
PropertyValueUnitConditionsSource
Refractive Index(n)
-
Verified Unverified Low confidence (<80%) Link to source

Regulatory Screening

Environmental

Safety & Biocompatibility

RoHS, REACH, and Prop 65 statuses are validated against official substance lists (ECHA SVHC Candidate List, OEHHA Prop 65, RoHS Annex II). Other regulations are estimated from composition and material classification. All screening is a starting point for due diligence — always verify with your supplier before making compliance decisions.