Polyvinyl alcohol is used in papermaking, textiles, and in a variety of coatings. It is used as an emulsion polymerization aid to make polyvinyl acetate, as a protective colloid, as a film used in the water transfer printing process, as a surfactant for the formation of polymer encapsulated nanobeads, as an embolization agent in medical procedures and as a fixative for specimen collection. It is an important raw material for polyvinyl nitrate (PVN). It is used in protective chemical-resistant gloves, in eye drops (such as artificial tears to treat dry eyes) and in hard contact lens solution as a lubricant and in 3D printing as a support structure that can then be dissolved away.

This Thermo Scientific Chemicals brand product was originally part of the Alfa Aesar product portfolio. Some documentation and label information may refer to the legacy brand. The original Alfa Aesar product / item code or SKU reference has not changed as a part of the brand transition to Thermo Scientific Chemicals.