Vinyl is a term used to refer to the thermoplastic polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which is one of the most widely used polymers in the world, owing to its durability and relatively low cost. PVC is manufactured from common salt and ethylene (typically derived from oil or natural gas, but ethylene may also be derived from plants such as sugar cane). Unplasticised PVC, or uPVC, is a rigid and durable material commonly used to make products such as window frames and pipes, but chemicals known as plasticisers may be added to give the polymer flexibility for use in other products, such as vinyl gloves.
Vinyl gloves represent a lower cost alternative to nitrile and latex gloves, suitable for lower risk applications and for users who have allergies to latex proteins or accelerators used in nitrile gloves.