PVC FREE Rigid Core PP Flooring – A RIGID CORE VINLY FLOORING WITHOUT VINYL!
It comes with many names such as, PVC Free Modular Floorings, PVC Free Rigid Core PP Flooring, PVC Free Graphic Floorings, PVC Free Hybrid Floorings, PVC Free Resilient Floorings, PVC Free PP Flooring and more. With names too many to tell preciously what it is, consumers are confused of what is the material make up of new rigid core floorings. However, there is one thing that is in common, and it is a movement into PVC free floorings!
Floor Covering Product
Development of Vinyl Floorings
PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) has long been a material that is widely used in the building material industry. While PVC was originally invented by Eugen Baumann in 1873, the application of PVC into floorings had only started and widely applied since 1930s. PVC floorings since then had went into multiple stages where different forms of flooring products were developed and introduced into the market.
In the 21 century, the most common known PVC floorings has been in Luxury Vinyl Tiles (LVT) and Stone Plastic Composite SPC tiles. LVT floorings has been into the market since 1960s and SPC floorings as an upgrade to the LVT was invented in 2010s and started gaining strong popularity since 2017.
The latest development in Stone Plastic Composite SPC tiles has been involved in the subject of substituting PVC polymers with other non-vinyl plastic materials.
Movement into PVC Free Rigid Core PP Flooring Trend
There are both environmental and health safety concern in the application and use of PVC products. While it is debatable whether PVC contained products, such as LVT or SPC, are 100% health safe for consumers, most experts have agreed that during the manufacturing process and recycling process of PVC products, chlorine and dioxin are released into the environment which cause environmental concern and health concerns.
As a result, there are many countries, regions, semi-government organizations, independent associations and even industrial leaders are pushing and promoting towards PVC free productions.
Top Ranked Concern for PVC Polymer Materials
Toxic Concerns
PVC production have high level of chlorine content and are potentially associated with other harmful substance such as mercury, asbestos, fluorinated substances, phthalates and other related production used chemicals.
Carbon Footprint
Among the most common used plastic polymers, PVC productions has significantly higher energy consumption and carbon dioxide gas emission. It therefore has higher impact in the potential cause of global warming when compared to other type of plastic polymers.
Product End of Life
High proportion of PVC produced products ended up in landfill or incinerators. When PVC are burned, high concentration of hazardous dioxins are released into the environment. Recycling of PVC are also challenging as it has dehydrochlorination concern and has additives that needs to be super-separated to recycle.
External Articles Pros & Cons for PVC Free Rigid Core PP Flooring
The Mega Trend Towards PVC Free Rigid Core PP Floorings
As the general public and consumers are becoming more concerned with PVC applied consumer products, products such as PVC floorings will eventually be targeted as one of the products to be phased out. The European market now are already phasing out flexible packaging that is made of PVC and we see this as a signal which eventually will come to PVC floorings.
The industry expert from the flooring sectors are also responding that during this years building material trade exhibitions, we are seeing more brands to display and market vinyl free flooring products. Mean while, many specialized vinyl flooring manufacturers are also working on vinyl free flooring products to replace the existing luxury vinyl tiles LVT and rigid core SPC floorings.
Short Conclusion on Development for Vinyl Free Rigid Core PP Floorings
There is no doubt that vinyl free floorings will eventually be the main stream for the floor covering sectors. The current LVT and SPC provide an excellent option for home decorations with limited budget and the design selections are almost endless which allows for more aesthetic renovations. However, to transit from vinyl based flooring into vinyl free based flooring there are still cost factors which are limiting the rapid market penetration for vinyl free floorings.
