The extraction of organotin compounds from polyvinyl chloride pipe

Experiments on the leaching of organotin stabilizers from commercial polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe into ultra-high-purity water in relation to time and flow rate showed that the concentration of tin in water flowing through several 100 m of new unextracted pipe could exceed the recommended maximal safe level of 20 mg per m3. However, the concentration could be reduced to a safe level by rinsing the pipe for 4 h at a Reynolds number of 6000 or more. The extractable tin was located at the surface of the pipe, and diffusion of organotin from the bulk of the pipe wall to the inner surface in contact with the water was negligible. (English translation 275 pounds sterling, valid for 1990).