PVAs

PVAs is an acronym used in different fields to denote distinct chemical or engineering terms. The most common meanings are polyvinyl alcohols, polyvinyl acetates, and photovoltaic arrays.

Polyvinyl alcohols, abbreviated PVA or PVAs when plural, are water-soluble synthetic polymers obtained by hydrolysis of polyvinyl acetate. They are characterized by high hydrophilicity, film-forming ability, and biocompatibility. Applications include adhesives, paper coatings, textile finishes, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical excipients. They are generally non-toxic, with properties tunable by hydrolysis degree and molecular weight.

Polyvinyl acetates, abbreviated PVA, are polymers used mainly as emulsions and adhesives; PVAs typically refer to PVA-based glues such as white wood glue. They are water-based, non-toxic, and form flexible films; used in woodworking, papermaking, packaging, and crafts. Note that PVA the polyvinyl acetate is chemically distinct from PVA the polyvinyl alcohol, though both share acronyms.

Photovoltaic arrays, abbreviated PVAs, are assemblies of solar photovoltaic modules connected to convert sunlight into electricity. PVAs are deployed in residential, commercial, and utility-scale solar systems. Design factors include module efficiency, array configuration (series vs parallel), shading, temperature, and mismatch losses.

In other specialized contexts, PVAs may denote additional terms; context is required to determine meaning.