Prime International

Polyvinyl Alcohol for Textile Sizing

Selvol™ Polyvinyl Alcohol Product Information

Selvol Polyvinyl Alcohol is mainly used for textiles sizing. Selvol Polyvinyl Alcohol’s various grades offer more versatility from one product than any other PVOH product we offer. The key to working with Selvol Polyvinyl Alcohol lies in finding the right grade to suit your needs. Individual Selvol™ Polyvinyl Alcohol grades vary in molecular weight and degree of hydrolysis. Molecular weight is generally expressed in terms of solution viscosity. The viscosities are classified as ultra-low, low, medium and high, while degree of hydrolysis is commonly denoted as super, fully, intermediate and partially hydrolyzed. A wide range of standard grades is available.

  • Selvol™ Polyvinyl Alcohols 823 and 840 are improved versions of our standard polymerization grades (Selvol™ Polyvinyl Alcohol 523 and 540 polyvinyl alcohols, respectively). These products offer a number of advantages in emulsion polymerization applications including improved water solubility and lower foaming.
  • Tackified Selvol™ Polyvinyl Alcohols are produced by controlled boration of super hydrolyzed and fully hydrolyzed grades. These borated alcohols yield viscous aqueous solutions, which have a tailored degree of tack and significantly reduce penetration when applied onto surfaces such as paper.

Selvol™ Polyvinyl Alcohol Viscosity

Viscosity Viscosity Type Degree of Polymerization Weight Average Molecular Weight Range
3-4 cps
Ultra Low
150-300
13,000-23,000
5-6 cps
Low
350-650
31,000-50,000
22-30 cps
Medium
1000-1500
85,000-124,000
45-72 cps
High
1600-2200
146,000-186,000