What are the Differences between PVC and Silicone?

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Comparison
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Ethan Carter

June 23, 2026
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PVC material is not silicone material, they are two different materials. The full name of PVC is Polyvinylchloride, and the main ingredient is Polyvinyl chloride. PVC is an amorphous white powder with poor stability to light and heat. Stabilizers must be added in practical applications to improve the stability to heat and light. PVC used to be the world’s largest production of universal plastic, widely used.

 PVC and Silicone raw material
The silicic acid gel is one of the highly active adsorbent material. Silica gel is mainly composed of silica, which has stable chemical properties and does not burn. Silicon raw material is a transparent or milky granular solid, with an open porous structure, strong adsorption, adsorption of a variety of substances. Silica gel can be reused after regeneration.

What are the advantages of silicone products and PVC products? What are the differences in performance and usage? From the point of use, both overlap in terms of gifts.

 PVC VS Silicone Coaster

The characteristic of PVC soft rubber

1.Low liquidity: PVC is an amorphous material with a low moisture absorption rate and poor liquidity. In order to improve the fluidity and prevent bubbles, PVC material can be dried in advance.
2.Easily decomposed: PVC is easier to decompose when being contacted with steel and copper at 200°C, and it will give off a corrosive, irritating gas as it decomposes. Its molding temperature range is small.
3.Good chemical stability: PVC is a kind of flame retardant, it has good chemical stability. At the same time, its material characteristics also include high strength, high stiffness, and high hardness.
4.Strong corrosion resistance: PVC is most suitable for chemical industry corrosion protection equipment. PVC is easy to process as it is good electrical insulation.

The characteristic of Silicone

1. Temperature resistance: Silicone products have high thermal stability, and the chemical bonds of molecules do not break or decompose under high temperatures. Silicone is resistant to high and low temperatures and can be used over a wide range of temperatures.
2. Long Service life: Silicone products are not easily broken down by ultraviolet light and ozone. Silicon has better thermal stability, radiation resistance and weather resistance than other polymer materials. The service life of silicon in a natural environment can reach several decades.
3. Electrical insulation: Silicon products have good electrical insulation. Their electrical performance is little affected by temperature and frequency. Silicon also has excellent water repellency, which is high reliability for electrical equipment in wet conditions.
4. Physiological inertia: Polysiloxanes are the most inert compounds known. They are resistant to biological aging, are not rejected by the animal body, and have good anticoagulant properties.


 PVC VS Silicone Keychain

  PVC VS 硅胶钥匙扣
 

The difference between PVC rubber and silicone gel

1. Difference in material: PVC materials include common materials and environmentally friendly materials, also known as ATBC-PVC, while silica gel can be certified by ROHS, which is environmentally friendly.
2. Difference in the process: PVC products are made of polyvinyl chloride and oil together with color paste, and their raw materials are made by heating and cooling the microinjection epoxy process. But silicone products only need to add the color masterbatch to the silica gel to mix and disperse in a mixing machine, then put them in the mold through heating and cooling to take shape.
3. Different in character: Silicone products are more cold-resistant and more heat-resistant than PVC products. Tableware made of silicone can be heated in a microwave, while PVC can’t.
4. Different outside: From the appearance, PVC products are rougher than silicone products; silicone products have a smooth and shiny surface.
5.Different in touching: According to the hand feeling, the silicone product is soft with good toughness and elasticity, while the PVC soft rubber is relatively less hard. The softness and hardness of both can be adjusted, but PVC does not have tenacity.
6. Different in burning: Silica gel products are generally transparent, with a small burning smell and powder, while PVC products will turn black after burning and smell bad when burning.
7. Different in cost: The raw material price of PVC products is low, as they are made of synthetic materials. Silica gel is more expensive than PVC products in production and manufacturing.


 PVC Patches


From the above differences, we can see that silicone is safer than PVC, which is more suitable for food and medicine materials. PVC products have a greater price advantage, making them more suitable as promotional gifts and other materials. It is of great importance to choose a safe and reliable PVC manufacturer who does not add harmful substances to your PVC products.

If you are interested in PVC products, you could buy custom PVC products at GS-JJ.com. GS-JJ Company has rich experience in producing PVC gifts. Those who are interested in PVC products can visit GS-JJ.com for more details.

 

Picture resources from:
PVC vs. silicone raw material:
https://www.chinahao.com/product/36576947761/
www.enplaslifetech.com/tpe-vs-silicon
PVC VS Silicone keychain:
https://www.allcharacterstore.com/products/original-doraemon-soft-pvc-keychain
https://www.whambamdeals.com/products/ms-fighter-silicone-keychain
PVC products: https://www.siennapacific.com/soft-pvc-patches

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