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How Corzan® CPVC Evolved from Industrial to Commercial

Inquiring minds need to know: How did Corzan® CPVC transition from use in aggressive industrial pipe applications to becoming a trusted material for decades of reliable service in commercial plumbing and hydronic HVAC applications?

The history dates back to 1959, when Lubrizol Advanced Materials (formerly BFGoodrich Performance Materials) pioneered CPVC compound, envisioned for the manufacture of easier-to-install and cost effective residential plumbing. The 1960 National Association of Home Builders Research Home in Lansing, Michigan, featured a plumbing system made with the same plastic technology that provided the foundation for today’s FlowGuard Gold® pipe and fittings.

However, the compound was first commercialized as Corzan CPVC, a corrosion-resistant alternative to traditional metallic pipe in Schedule 80 industrial applications. Over time, it had become apparent that Corzan CPVC’s combination of inherent and engineered properties in high temperature and demanding industrial process conditions lent itself well to a technology transfer: namely, for commercial hot and cold water distribution in buildings requiring the same large diameter piping systems.

Lubrizol Advanced Materials had a solution on the shelf that already met the requirements:

  • Corrosion-resistant Corzan pipe and fittings were NSF certified for potable water distribution;
  • The pressure-rated Schedule 80 CPVC piping was referenced in plumbing codes (ASTM F441);
  • Manufacturing partners had the Schedule 80 production infrastructure for Nominal Pipe Size (NPS) from ¼ inch to 24 inches, as well as the associated fittings; and
  • Ultimately, Corzan CPVC offered the necessary mechanical strength and a broad spectrum of attributes needed for all aspects of commercial water distribution piping as well as hydronic HVAC applications.

Corzan Piping Systems offers one of the industry’s largest network of technical support specialists to our commercial specification and installation customer, ready to help each construction partner choose the best system to fit their timelines, budgets and system performance parameters.

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