Polyvinyl butyral, also known simply as Butyral (PVB), is a chemical compound resulting from mixing polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) with butyraldehyde. The resulting material is a polymer with great adhesion and durability, used mainly in the glass industry.

This material was developed by the DuPont company in 1938, and since then a growing number of options have been marketed in Colombia: more transparent, colored, opaque, translucent or printed sheets. This compound played a determining role in the development of the glass industry, as it allowed the creation of laminated glass.

Polyvinyl butyral is used as a sheet that, thanks to its adhesion and transparency properties, is ideal for joining glass sheets. It allows the transmission of forces between the glasses, absorbing the energy derived from the propagation of the crack and uniting them as one, although the material itself lacks high mechanical resistance. The butyral sheet is used to prevent the detachment of glass fragments if a breakage occurs, which is why it is used in the front glass of vehicles and in glass that may present a risk to people, such as those used in buildings such as windows, skylights, shop windows.

As mentioned previously, PVB is produced by the reaction of polyvinyl alcohol or polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) with butyraldehyde. Some of the main producers of PVB are:.

• - Sekisui (Kyoto, Japan) with the name "S-Lec" PVB for films and powder resins.

• - DuPont (Wilmington "Wilmington (Delaware)"), Delaware, USA) under the trade name "Butacite" PVB.

• - Solutia (Saint Louis "Saint Louis (Missouri)"), Missouri, USA) under the name "Saflex" PVB.

• - Kuraray Europe GmbH (Frankfurt, Germany, Europe) under the trade name "Mowital-Pioloform" powder resins and under the trade name "Trosifol" PVB films.

• - Laminated glass.