Polyvinyl chloride, better known as PVC, is most frequently found in pipes, credit cards, plastic bottles, electrical cable insulation, and other everyday items. According to a study recently published in the journal Nature, PVC can now be broken down and repurposed as a key ingredient for industrial lubricants. Liu said the idea came to his team because PVC is one of the most easily activated types of polyethylene. The resulting PVC goop was too soft, gooey, and unable to withstand the high performance needs of existing industrial lubricants. Moving forward, the team is now working to make their invention even more sustainable, scalable, and affordable for general use.