Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is one of the most widely used plastics

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is one of the most widely used plastics. PVCs are very common materials 

in the building and construction field, though they are used extensively across all industries. 

In fact, the total volume of PVC produced worldwide in 2018 was 44.3 million tons, and it is 

expected to grow to around 60 million tons by 2025 [1]. Flexible PVC is also commonly filled 

with additives, such as plasticizers, stabilizers, and inert fillers, that may change the rheological 

behavior of the material and the energy consumption during extrusion. The main purpose of this 

work is thus to investigate the dependence of the extrusion energy consumption on the flexible 

PVC properties. A regression model capable of linking the characteristics of the materials with 

the specific energy consumption was developed. It can be used to estimate the process cost, thus 

providing a valuable tool for process optimization, cost reduction, and sustainable manufacturing. 

[1] Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) production volume worldwide in 2018 and 2025(in million metric tons)