PVC can become brittle due to:

PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) can become brittle primarily due to age or heat. As PVC ages, its physical properties can change, leading to a decrease in flexibility and an increase in brittleness. Heat can exacerbate this process, as elevated temperatures can accelerate the degradation of the material, causing it to lose plasticizers and other additives that help maintain its structural integrity.

When PVC is subjected to heat, it may undergo thermal degradation, breaking down its molecular structure over time. This degradation makes the material more susceptible to cracking and failure under stress. As a result, understanding the effects of age and heat on PVC is crucial for fire investigators, especially when assessing the potential hazards of materials involved in a fire incident.