Houston-based Westlake Corp. is launching a new product in the United States — molecularly oriented PVC (PVCO) pipe — and will manufacture it at a new 190,000-square-foot plant in Wichita Falls, Texas, as demand for housing and infrastructure grows.
Westlake introduced its PVCO pipe products, which use the same materials as PVC but are mechanically stretched, to Canada in 2021.
The manufacturing process realigns the pipe material's molecules to improve tensile strength. This means Westlake can produce thinner-walled pipe with the same pressure capacity as thicker-walled PVC pipe, which addresses sustainability and affordability issues. For starters, PVCO pipes are produced with 40 percent less PVC, which saves energy in manufacturing and shipping. Then, in water systems, PVCO provides about 10 percent more internal flow area compared with other Westlake products, among other benefits.
Westlake is joining Ipex and JM Eagle as the third North American manufacturer of PVCO pipes — products resonating in the market at a time when long-term demand is projected from municipal and residential markets for drinking water, wastewater and stormwater applications for both new construction and replacement.
"We operate in a very bullish market where our growth is bolstered by unique integrated solutions and a leading market position. Our leading North American presence provides scale and capability to enable strong partnerships with key distributors," said Andre Battistin, vice president of Westlake Pipe and Fittings.
Battistin spoke June 13 during an online Westlake "teach in" about its housing and infrastructure products businesses.
With related estimated sales of $2.8 billion, Westlake is the No. 3 pipe, profile and tubing producer in North America, according to Plastics News' latest ranking. JM Eagle is No. 1 with related estimated sales of $3.9 billion, and Ipex is No. 5 with estimated sales of $1.68 billion.
PVCO pipes have been getting more consideration for having more robust mechanical properties than standard PVC and triple the impact resistance, Battistin said. Municipalities have been specifying PVCO as a preferred water main material and the products are preferred by installers, he added.
"PVCO is 75 percent lighter and 60-70 percent less expensive than ductile iron, and it is 40 percent lighter than traditional PVC and has 10 percent increased internal flow vs. traditional PVC," Battistin said.
As PVCO pipes make a bigger splash, PVC continues to displace other types of materials for water sector pipe, such as cast iron, ductile iron and concrete, enabling manufacturers to gain market share, according to Bruce Hollands, president and CEO of the Uni-Bell PVC Pipe Association, an Irving, Texas, trade group representing PVC pipe producers.
"Like PVC pipe, the use of molecularly oriented PVC pipe is increasing as the demand for ductile iron pipe continues to decline," Hollands said in an email. "PVCO pipe provides utilities with another proven option for a non-corroding, durable pipe material."
In the meantime, use of PVC pipe continues to grow every year. Hollands said the products have "the lowest break rate, longest service life, lowest carbon footprint and lowest life cycle cost of all piping materials."
A major end use for PVC pipe is water mains, which carry drinking water from pumping stations to homes, schools and businesses. More than 50 percent of all water mains installed in the U.S. and Canada over the last 10 years were PVC pipe, Hollands said, adding the products also are advancing in the trenchless sector.
Hollands also points to PVC pipe undergoing what he described as "the most rigorous and transparent environmental evaluation of all pipe materials."
"PVC pipe has been reviewed through a comprehensive, third-party life cycle analysis under the stringent guidelines of the International Organization for Standardization 14025 and 14040 standards, which are the most recognized environmental industry standards in the world," Hollands said. "No other pipe materials in North America have published an LCA or environmental product declaration conducted according to ISO standards."
Moving forward, Hollands expects to see further growth for PVC water and sewer pipe in larger-size applications up to 60 inches.