The key difference between polyvinyl alcohol and polyvinyl acetate is that the side chain of polyvinyl alcohol is a hydroxyl functional group, whereas the side chain of polyvinyl acetate is an acetate functional group.
Polyvinyl alcohol and polyvinyl acetate are important polymer materials. These polymers have many different applications in different industrial fields.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Polyvinyl Alcohol
3. What is Polyvinyl Acetate
4. Polyvinyl Alcohol vs Polyvinyl Acetate in Tabular Form
5. Summary – Polyvinyl Alcohol vs Polyvinyl Acetate
What is Polyvinyl Alcohol?
Polyvinyl alcohol is a polymer material that is water-soluble and has the chemical formula [CH2CH(OH)]n. It is a synthetic polymer material that is very important in papermaking, textile wrap sizing, and as a thickener and emulsion stabilizer in PVAC adhesive formulations. Moreover, this substance is useful in different varieties of coatings and in 3D printing. In addition, polyvinyl alcohol is a colorless and odorless substance that is commercially available commonly as beads or as solutions in water.
Figure 01: Polyvinyl Alcohol Beads
When considering the uses of this polymer, it is mainly useful in medical applications due to its biocompatibility nature and a low tendency for protein adhesion. In addition, it has low toxicity. There are some specific applications of polyvinyl alcohol, including cartilage replacements, preparation of contact lenses, and eye drops. Moreover, this polymer material is important as an aid in suspension polymerization. China produces a large amount of polyvinyl alcohol as a protective colloid to produce polyvinyl acetate dispersions.
In contrast to most other vinyl polymers, polyvinyl alcohol can be prepared by polymerization of the corresponding monomer, vinyl alcohol. Moreover, we can prepare this substance by the hydrolysis of polyvinyl acetate or using vinyl ester-derived polymers and formate or chloroacetate (instead of acetate).
What is Polyvinyl Acetate?
Polyvinyl acetate is a polymer having the chemical formula C4H6O2)n. It is also known as wood glue, white glue, carpenter’s glue, school glue, and Emer’s glue. Widely, this material is available as an adhesive for porous materials such as wood, paper, and cloth. This is an aliphatic polymer with rubbery properties and synthetic nature. Furthermore, we can categorize it as a thermoplastic polymer material.
Figure 02: Chemical Structure of Polyvinyl Acetate
Polyvinyl acetate has a degree of polymerization that ranges from 100 to 5000. The ester groups in this material are sensitive to base hydrolysis, and they can solely convert the material into polyvinyl alcohol and acetic acid. Besides, many microorganisms, including filamentous fungi, algae, yeast, lichens, and bacteria, can degrade polyvinyl acetate.
There are many important applications of this material: as wood glue, as a paper adhesive, in bookbinding, in handicrafts, as a wallpaper adhesive, as a primer for drywall and other substrates, as a gum base for chewing gum, etc.
What is the Difference Between Polyvinyl Alcohol and Polyvinyl Acetate?
Polyvinyl alcohol is a polymer material that is water-soluble and has the chemical formula [CH2CH(OH)]n. Polyvinyl acetate is a polymer material having the chemical formula C4H6O2)n. The key difference between polyvinyl alcohol and polyvinyl acetate is that the side chain of polyvinyl alcohol is a hydroxyl functional group whereas the side chain of polyvinyl acetate is an acetate functional group.
Below is a summary of the difference between polyvinyl alcohol and polyvinyl acetate in tabular form for side by side comparison.
Summary – Polyvinyl Alcohol vs Polyvinyl Acetate
Polyvinyl alcohol and polyvinyl acetate are important polymer materials. These polymers have many different applications in different industrial fields. The key difference between polyvinyl alcohol and polyvinyl acetate is that the side chain of polyvinyl alcohol is a hydroxyl functional group, whereas the side chain of polyvinyl acetate is an acetate functional group.