Technical Information about polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH)

Kuraray Poval™ and Elvanol™ (PVOH) are manufactured by hydrolyzing polyvinyl acetate with caustic soda. In the 1950’s, when Kuraray started mass production of PVOH, the intermediate raw material of VAM was produced from acetylene. However, after the 1960’s, vinyl acetate started to be produced from ethylene. This ethylene method has since been adopted worldwide.*

^{*Note: acetylene method still widely used in China.}