PVC, like nylon, is one of the better thermoplastics. Some thermoplastics survive the process better than others. PVC belongs to a class of polymers called thermoplastics, which essentially means that they can be remelted and turned into new product. With plastics in general, landfilling is a big issue, because that material is essentially lost forever, a poor strategy for materials made of diminishing fossil fuel supplies. However, the affiliation with the problematic phthalates proved to be too strong, so in the last couple of years, led by firms like Tarkett, manufacturers have started introducing phthalate replacements, including bio-based plasticizers and a terephthalate called DOTP. The industry first moved to phthalates with higher molecular weights (like DINP), the idea being that these molecules would be too big to leach from the PVC. The bigger problem has been with the plasticizers, which for many years were made of phthalates (like DEHP and DOP) implicated in endocrine disruption and reproductive harm. In the past, stabilizers made of lead were more common, but these days it’s mostly tin. Then there are the stabilizers, designed to prevent thermal decomposition when the material is heated. The plasticizers convey elasticity to the product, making it bendable and malleable and giving it the necessary resilience to survive high foot traffic. Vinyl flooring uses two types of additives for structural performance: plasticizers and stabilizers. Most of the environmental progress in LVT (and PVC flooring in general) over the last few years has been in the greening of additives. Health product declarations and ingredient lists are also not widely used. For now, there are few manufacturer-specific environmental product declarations (EPDs). The multi-attribute certification, NSF-332, has also gained traction. The most commonly used green certifications for vinyl flooring tend to cover indoor air quality and volatile organic emissions (like FloorScore and Greenguard). Like all vinyl products, it has been in more of a defensive mode because of controversy over its ingredients. LVT is a relative newcomer to the sustainability game. And for now, imports account for over two thirds of domestic consumption. Currently, 63% of LVT goes to the residential market, and 37% goes to the commercial market. flooring firms, some of which even have their own LVT capacity. Several prominent offshore producers, for instance, also sell to U.S. There are other estimates of the LVT industry that run far higher, generally because there is so much potential for double counting due to all the private labeling. is a $764 million industry, according to Market Insights LLC, with annual volume of about 405 million square feet. With massive growth in the category and a wave of investment in domestic production, and with most of the leading carpet tile players getting into the game, specifiers are turning their scrutiny toward LVT, which has a long way to go before it can call itself green. The addition of powerful antimicrobial technology provides a unique benefit to Mannington customers keeping flooring surfaces 99% cleaner than untreated floors, and fights the growth of bacteria, mold and mildew 24/7.Following years of carpet tile taking marketshare and making huge gains in the commercial market, luxury vinyl is now leading growth, and it’s doing so in both the residential and commercial markets.Ĭarpet tile got a lot greener over the years, reducing its environmental footprint more than any other flooring type, to meet the demands of the environmentally focused A&D community, and now LVT faces the same challenge. In 2021 we launched our exclusive partnership with Mannington Mills to treat select luxury vinyl tile (LVT) and sheet vinyl product lines. In 2020, Mannington Mills announced that it would acquire Phenix Flooring and Pharr fibers and Yarns from Pharr USA, thus igniting the spark that led to an exclusive partnership with Microban International, already in valued partnership with Phenix Flooring since 2016. Now in its second century of doing business in the USA, Mannington Mills remains committed to quality, customer satisfaction and innovative manufacturing with award-winning product design, state-of-the-art processes and industry-leading programs. Founded in 1915 by John Boston Campbell, the company is still privately held and owned by the Campbell family. The company manufactures residential and commercial sheet vinyl, luxury vinyl, laminate, resilient and hardwood floors as well as commercial carpet and rubber under the Mannington Residential, Mannington Commercial, Amtico and Burke brands. One of the world's leading manufacturers of fine flooring, Mannington Mills, Inc., is based in Salem, New Jersey (USA). Antimicrobial Luxury Vinyl Tile and Sheet Vinyl by Mannington Mills and Microban
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