in 1926, waldo semon, working in the united states, invented plasticized polyvinyl chloride. polyvinyl chloride (pvc) is a plastic containing carbon, hydrogen and chlorine. it is produced by the process of polymerisation. molecules of vinyl chloride monomers combine to make long chain molecules of polyvinyl chloride. polyvinyl chloride (pvc) based floor coverings, commonly known as vinyls made its big splash when a vinyl composition tile was displayed at the century of progress exposition in chicago. because of the scarcity of vinyl during the war years, vinyl flooring was not widely marketed until the late 1940s, eventually became the most popular choice for flooring in just about any hard-surface application.