Polyvinyl alcohol

Polyvinyl alcohol (also known as PVOH, PVA, or PVAL) is a man made polymer. It has no odor and is not toxic.

Preparation

Unlike similar vinyl polymers, polyvinyl alcohol cannot be made through polymerisation of a single monomer. Vinyl alcohol is a very unstable enol that changes into its tautomer, acetaldehyde, rather than polymerise.

Polyvinyl alcohol is instead made from other polymers by hydrolysis, usually with a strong base. One common route is transesterfication of polyvinyl acetate and a simple alcohol like methanol or ethanol, which produces polyvinyl alcohol and the alcohol's acetate ester.

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