Question "hardest" pvc product?

[netsol]

when i look on harbor, there are about 7 categories for pvc (sintra, komatex, etc)
using it for the interior of a van/camper conversion, komatex is too soft & scratches too easily

are any of the other pvc products harder & more scratch resistant? another suggestion for a more suitable product?
for example i can beat a piece of plumbing pvc with a claw hammer & not scratch it. i undertand it is an entirely different product, but...

 

[Gino]

You're comparing two totally different substrates.

 

[letterman7]

Yep. You're comparing extruded pvc to cast pvc. Two totally different items even though they are both pvc. Depends on what and where you plan on using the item and if you want a weight saving or not. For a countertop, hard to beat (literally) a piece of Corian or similar product.

 

[unclebun]

There certainly are differences in how soft the various expanded PVC sheets are. In the old days our vendors had Trovicel, which had quite a hard surface. Now they sell Palight and Ion, which are soft as, well not butter, but maybe cheese. Sintra is also harder.

 

[Gino]

From what I know, sintra still has lead in it. They'll tell ya no it doesn't, but it does.

 

[johnnysigns]

Komacel is the exterior grade PVC with the smooth glossy surfaces. Komatex is the lighter grade PVC with has a light pebbly finish. It appears move satin or matte looking.

 

[MikePro]

thinking outside of the box here, but if you REALLY need some dense plastic then check out HDPE or HPL (good brand with laminate/color options: trespa).

 

[CanuckSigns]

One of my local plastic suppliers has 1/2" solid PVC sheet, its not foamed in the middle, weighs a ton and machines beautifully, but if I remember correctly, it's no cheaper than 1/2" thick acrylic so there is no real reason to use it.

 

[Vinyl slayer]

Yep. You're comparing extruded pvc to cast pvc. Two totally different items even though they are both pvc. Depends on what and where you plan on using the item and if you want a weight saving or not. For a countertop, hard to beat (literally) a piece of Corian or similar product.

I'd rate this informative. If only that were still an option.

 

[netsol]

Thanks, all
One of our people is using sintra on a van conversion interior
It scratches too easy. He got a suggestion from harbor sales, our vendor of choice

My suggestion was to run it through the Daige and protect with a sheet of laminate. Just thought the proper pvc product would be more resilient

 

[Notarealsignguy]

Wont the inside always smell of plastic? I'd use luan with a sheet of formica bonded to it. You might find smooth FRP sheets too.

 

[netsol]

He wanted to use sintra
He and the wife like beaches and parks. I guess it cleans up well.
All the more reason for the laminate, to my thinking

 

[Gino]

That's gonna be kinda expensive. That stuff warps like crazy when it gets warm. Back in the 70's when van conversions were a big thing, we did tons of them. In almost every case, wood was used overtop of the sound absorption materials. And like mentioned, I think they used a lotta formica and materials that were rigid and stayed in place. You'd hafta beef that sintra crap up to at least 1/2" or more.... and even then, I'll bet it'll bow.

 

[Notarealsignguy]

I built out a bus a while back and for some of the panels I took a 5x10 sheet of white aluminum, sprayed it with PVA then laid out a couple of layers of biaxial fiberglass mat on top of it. Once it cured, you can just split the sheet off of it and you have a nice lightweight wall or ceiling panel and a still usable sheet of aluminum. You can put fabric on in, headliner, wood veneer, formica, pretty much anything. On the ceilings, we used 3m Dual Lock so it can be pulled down to access wiring if needed.

 

[jfiscus]

What about a thin acrylic or single-sided polymetal option? Too much weight?

 

[rjssigns]

Get some milk board.(at least that's what we call it around here) Your local farm supply should have it. It's a textured panel used in milk houses. poultry operations etc...
If you can wreck this stuff in a van you need to rethink what you're doing.

Can get it in different thicknesses. Link below would be good for a van. Farm supply houses will have more options.

Glasliner 0.090 in. x 4 ft. x 8 ft. White FRP Decorative Wall Paneling (1-Pack) MFTF12IXA480009600 - The Home Depot

.090 FRP Wall Board 4FTx8FT in White - Polyester resin construction. Featuring a cracked ice surface for easy cleaning. This siding panel is easy to install with standard trowel and water based adhesives.

www.homedepot.com

 

[johnnysigns]

I wouldn't think laminate would help on any foam pvc (komatex/sintra). The base substrate is still soft so it's still going to get wrecked.

 

[Michael-Nola]

Expanded PVC sheeting is not intended to be a structural building material. It's designed to be easy to process (cut and route), however that design intent is what makes it unusable as a structural material. As mentioned above, Komacel is an outdoor grade expanded sheet with higher density. That is probably suitable for this use but I don't have any similar tests to back that up. The failure point with expanded PVC will be your mounting points. Even if you laminate or achieve the surface durability you're looking for, it is still essentially a foamed product. Sheets bolted in a little RV van need to be able to withstand torque and hits and daily light abuse - expanded PVC sheeting will disintegrate in this scenario over time. It also does not have the temperature rating to survive summer. Not even close.

The industry standard materials for interior RV building are wood and aluminum. I would stick with those.
If you want to go with a plastic, ABS will be far superior to expanded PVC. Service temp should make it.
If they demand expanded PVC, use Komacel. Let them know durability will be questionable and not warrantied.
If they demand sintra specifically, I wouldn't take the job lol. It's going to dent and fall apart. Laminate with polycarb and that will delaminate during use too. There's no win here.

If you're making trim pieces out of the PVC that may be passable, depending on exact use.
You should post pictures of how this ends up. What materials used and what was made. I'm interested to see the final development! Good luck!