Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA, sometimes referred to as PVO) is a water soluble polymer used widely in adhesives, paints, sealants, coatings, textiles, plastics etc. The polymer is normally supplied in powder form and several grades are available with varying viscosity and solubility characteristics. This should not be confused with Polyvinyl Acetate, also known as PVA (sometimes PVAc) which is insoluble in water. PVAc emulsions are also used for adhesives, paints and various coatings but processing is different. This will be covered in a separate Application Report.