Effect of zinc stearate and/or epoxidized soybean oil on gelation and thermal stability of PVC‐DOP plastigels

The effects of zinc stearate (ZnSt₂) and/or epoxidized soybean oil (ESO) on mechanical properties and on thermal stability of plastigels obtained from polyvinylchloride (PVC) and dioctylphthalate (DOP) plastisols were studied using calorimetric, spectroscopic, and tensile‐testing techniques. Plastigels having 2.5 or 5.0 part ZnSt₂ and/or 5 part ESO and 60 part DOP per 100 part PVC (phr) were gelled by heating at 140°C. The tensile strength of plastigels with no additive and having 5 phr ZnSt₂, ESO, and both ZnSt₂ and ESO were 0.79, 0.46, 0.98, and 0.58 kN/cm², respectively. The decrease of tensile strength of plastigels with ZnSt₂ could be explained by the existence of ZnSt₂ in the solid phase in plastigels, as shown by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). ESO helped better fusion of the plastisols without any additive and with ZnSt₂. Higher tensile strengths of ESO containing plates indicated more complete gelation of the plastisols. The thermal stability of plastigels in terms of color and their yellowness index (YI) were higher for ZnSt₂ containing plastigels. Conjugated polyene concentrations were calculated from UV spectra of the films heated at 140°C. The reaction rate constant of the dehydrochlorination of PVC changed with the additives. Faster dehydrochlorination than control gels occurred in gels having ZnSt₂ at long heating times due to the autoaccelerating effect of ZnCl₂ formed by reaction of eliminated hydrogen chloride and ZnSt₂. Organic acid formation reaction between ZnSt₂ and HCl formed by dehydrochlorination is investigated from the IR band at 1540 cm⁻¹ and 3400 cm⁻¹ during heating of the plastigel films. A synergistic effect of ESO and ZnSt₂ was observed when the mechanical strength and heat stability were considered together. Although ESO increased tensile strength, ZnSt₂ increased thermal stability of the plastigels at early times when they were present simultaneously in plastisols. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 74: 2488–2498, 1999     

Synergistic effect of adipic acid pentaerythritol ester with calcium and zinc stearates on poly(vinyl chloride) thermal stability

Adipic acid pentaerythritol ester (AAPE) was synthesized in this study and confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The synergistic effect of AAPE with calcium and zinc stearates (CaSt₂/ZnSt₂) on poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) thermal stability was evaluated by the conductivity test, thermal aging test, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The results showed that the addition of CaSt₂/ZnSt₂ combined with AAPE could improve color stability and long‐term thermal stability of PVC. The results of UV‐visible spectroscopy showed that CaSt₂/ZnSt₂/AAPE could prevent the generation of conjugated double bonds. The possible mechanism is that AAPE can chelate ZnCl₂ to prevent the thermal degradation via dehydrochlorination. The contrast tests showed that the synergistic effect of AAPE and CaSt₂/ZnSt₂ is more obvious than that of polyethylene (PE) and CaSt₂/ZnSt₂, which may be attributed to the lower melting point of AAPE and the better compatibility with PVC. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 22:293–299, 2016. © 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Lanthanum histidine with pentaerythritol and zinc stearate as thermal stabilizers for poly(vinyl chloride)

Lanthanum histidine [La(His)₂·(NO₃)·2H₂O or La(His)₂] was synthesized via the reaction of histidine and lanthanum nitrate, and it was investigated as a stabilizer for poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC). The results show that La(His)₂ exhibited a stabilizing effect on PVC as a long‐term stabilizer because it prolonged the stability time of PVC to 76 min, which was about 24 times longer than the stability time of the pure PVC. The stabilizing effect of La(His)₂ as a costabilizer with pentaerythritol (Pe) and zinc stearate (ZnSt₂) was also studied. The results show that the use of La(His)₂ with Pe or Pe/ZnSt₂ improved the stability time of PVC. La(His)₂/Pe/ZnSt₂ provided PVC with a good initial color and long‐term stability, and when it was prepared at mass ratios of 0.8:2.4:0.8 and 1.6:1.6:0.8, the stability times of PVC were improved to 86 and 88 min, respectively. As a nontoxic stabilizer, La(His)₂/Pe/ZnSt₂ has the potential to replace the toxic stabilizers widely used in PVC manufacturing. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 42878.     

Preparation and characterization of flexible poly(vinyl chloride) foam films

In this study, the effect of activator ZnO and heating time at 190°C on foaming, gelation, and dehydrochlorination of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) plastisol was investigated. For this purpose, a PVC plastisol was prepared by mixing PVC, dioctyl phthalate (DOP), azodicarbonamide (ADC), ZnO, and the heat stabilizers calcium stearate (CaSt₂) and zinc stearate(ZnSt₂). PVC plastisol films were heated for 3, 6, 12, and 24 min periods at 190°C to see the effect of heating time on the gelation and foaming processes of the PVC foam. The time of 12 min was determined to be optimum for the completion of gelation and foaming processes without thermal degradation of PVC. No foaming was observed under the same conditions for the samples without ZnO. ZnO had a significant catalytic effect on ADC decomposition, accelerating the foaming of the films. Average porosity measurement showed a consistent increase in porosity with heating time up to 76% and the average density decreased from 1.17 to 0.29 g/cm³ on foaming. Tensile tests showed that the tensile strength and tensile strain both increased considerably up to 0.98 MPa and 207%, respectively, with heating time and the elastic modulus was seen to gradually decrease from 4.7 to 0.7 MPa with heating time. Films without ZnO had higher tensile strength since there were no pores. PVC thermomat tests showed that ZnO lowered the stability time of plastigel film with azodicarbonamide. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012     

Zinc glycerolate with lanthanum stearate to inhibit the thermal degradation of poly(vinyl chloride)

Zinc glycerolate (ZnGly) was prepared and used as a poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) thermal stabilizer in this work. ZnGly was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetry (TGA), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Visual color evolution and thermal stability time at 180°C were used to examine the stabilizing efficiency of the samples. The thermal stability of PVC was significantly enhanced through adding ZnGly or ZnGly with lanthanum stearate (LaSt₃). Compared with zinc stearate (ZnSt₂), it was demonstrated the initial color stability was markedly improved and the thermal stability time was obviously extended by adding ZnGly. The thermal stability time of ZnGly was threefold than ZnSt₂. In comparison with CaSt₂/ZnSt₂, the extent of coloration of PVC samples was significantly inhibited though adding LaSt₃/ZnGly. It was verified that the appropriate percents of ZnGly in the mixture were between 25 and 50%. A possible mechanism for the stabilizing efficiency of ZnGly was also proposed. The stabilizing efficiency was attributed to the stabilizer's ability to absorb hydrogen chloride and replace the labile chlorine atoms on PVC chains. Moreover, the dynamic thermogravimetric analysis was used to confirm that combination of LaSt₃ with ZnGly presented an obvious improvement of stability on thermal degradation of PVC. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

Effect of lanthanide (La(III))‐containing ionomer on thermal stabilization of poly(vinyl chloride)

A type of lanthanide (La(III))‐containing ionomer based on acrylate processing aid (ACR) for poly (vinyl chloride) (PVC) was synthesized, and influence of the ionomer on thermal stabilization of PVC was investigated with visual color comparison and Congo red methods. Results revealed that the ionomer with a suitable La(III) content behaved as a good costabilizer to PVC. It was able to extend static stabilization time of PVC and postpone “zinc burning.” The stabilizing efficiency of the ionomer to PVC depended on ion content, which was discussed in terms of Eisenberg–Hird–Moore model. Moreover, Fourier transform infrared test verified that this ionomer can react with zinc stearate (ZnSt₂) to form some new structures, which is responsible for postponing “zinc burning.” The ionomer and epoxidized soybean oil exhibited a synergistic effect on the stabilizing efficiency of calcium stearate (CaSt₂)/ZnSt₂ stabilizer to PVC compounds. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012     

Synergistic effect of metal soaps and natural zeolite on poly(vinyl chloride) thermal stability

The synergistic effect of metal soaps (zinc stearate and calcium stearate) and/or natural zeolite (clinoptilolite) on PVC thermal stability was investigated. For this purpose, PVC plastisol was prepared by mixing poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) and dioctyl phthalate (DOP) and stabilized with different amounts of metal soaps and zeolite. Kinetic studies of dehydrochlorination at 140 and 160°C were done for unstabilized and stabilized PVC plastigels using 763 PVC Thermomat equipment. The stabilizing effect of zeolite on the increase in the induction period of the sample was considered to result from the absorption of HCl, a property that was thought to reduce the autocatalytic effect of HCl evolved at the initial stages of dehydrochlorination. Since the induction time of the sample having 0.53% of zinc stearate and 0.53% of zeolite was higher than those of the PVC plastigels having only zinc stearate or zeolite, the synergistic effect on thermal stability was observed at low levels of these additives. J. VINYL. ADDIT. TECHNOL., 11:47–56, 2005. © 2005 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Investigation of lanthanum trioxypurine with zinc stearate and pentaerythritol as complex thermal stabilizers for poly(vinyl chloride)

Lanthanum trioxypurine (LaTr) was triumphantly synthesized by reacting trioxypurine and lanthanum nitrate at neutral condition and was characterized by elemental analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. The thermal stability effect of LaTr with its assistant thermal stabilizers about zinc stearate (ZnSt₂) and pentaerythritol (Pe) on poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) was investigated by Congo red test, discoloration test, UV–vis spectroscopy test, and thermal decomposition kinetics. The results showed that the addition of LaTr as thermal stabilizer could significantly enhance static stability time and long‐term stability of PVC. It could be mainly attributed to the anions in the structure of LaTr, could efficiently absorb the hydrogen chloride released by PVC, and have ability to replace unstable chlorine atoms on structure of PVC. Moreover, the mixing of LaTr, Pe, and ZnSt₂ could reveal an excellent synergistic effect and both promote the initial color and the long‐term thermal stability of PVC. The thermal stability of PVC reached the optimal state when the ratio of LaTr/Pe/ZnSt₂ was 1.8/0.6/0.6. In addition, compared with the reaction energy E_a and UV–vis spectroscopy test's result of PVC samples, the order of PVC's thermal stability was PVC/LaTr/Pe/ZnSt₂ > PVC/LaTr/Pe > PVC/LaTr. The result was further ascertained that LaTr/Pe/ZnSt₂ showed excellent synergistic effect and could be used as an excellent complex thermal stabilizer for PVC. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 25:347–358, 2019. © 2019 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Influence of acrylate processing aid‐based ionomer containing lanthanide (La(III)) ion on thermal stability,fusion, transparency and mechanical properties of rigid poly(vinyl chloride)

An acrylate processing aid (ACR)‐based ionomer containing lanthanide (La(III)) ion was synthesized and the influences of the ionomer on thermal stability, fusion time, transparency and tensile properties of rigid poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) were investigated. Results revealed that the ionomer with a suitable La(III) content behaved as a good stabilizer as well as processing aid to the rigid PVC product. The ionomer could accelerate fusion of PVC much more quickly than ACR because of the strong interaction between La(III) carboxylate and PVC. Moreover, it exhibited a stabilizing efficiency comparable to lanthanum and calcium stearates (LaSt₃ and CaSt₂). The composite stabilizer of ionomer/zinc stearate (ZnSt₂) exhibited an ability to improve initial discoloration better than LaSt₃/ZnSt₂ and CaSt₂/ZnSt₂ because the ionomer could form a complex with ZnSt₂ much more slowly than LaSt₃ and CaSt₂. The compounds stabilized using ionomer/ZnSt₂ exhibited a transparency comparable to those stabilized using organotin or liquid barium/zinc stabilizers, which was much better than those stabilized using LaSt₃/ZnSt₂ and CaSt₂/ZnSt₂. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

Crosslinking of rigid poly(vinyl chloride) with epoxysilane

Crosslinking is an effective way to improve the properties of poly(vinyl chloride). A crosslinking agent consisting of R‐glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane (KH560) has been used for the first time in order to introduce crosslinking into rigid poly(vinyl chloride). Different thermal stabilizers (organotin, Ca/Zn stearate, and Ba/Zn stearate) as well as sodium bisulfite were tried in order to promote grafting of the epoxy group and enhance the degree of crosslinking. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra showed that grafting and crosslinking of KH560 with poly(vinyl chloride) could take place, and that a gel content of 40% could be obtained when more than 10 phr of epoxysilane was used with a 2:1 (weight) ratio of BaSt₂/ZnSt₂ and a 1:1 molar ratio of NaHSO₃/KH560, while premature crosslinking was avoided. The Vicat softening temperature of crosslinked PVC could be increased by about 10°C when 5 phr of epoxysilane was added, and thermal degradation could be delayed with increasing gel content. Therefore, epoxysilane‐crosslinked PVC has the potential for extensive applications. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 13:103–109, 2007. © 2007 Society of Plastics Engineers.     

Improvement of the processability and thermal stability of poly(vinyl chloride) with 5,6-diamino-1,3-dimethyluracil

Uracil derivatives are potential nontoxic thermal stabilizers of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) and have a better stabilization effect. 5,6-diamino-1,3-dimethyluracil (DDU) was investigated as a thermal stabilizer for PVC. The stabilization effect of DDU was measured by thermogravimetric analysis, thermal aging test, and recording the time of the color change of the Congo red paper (Congo red test). Meanwhile, the processability of PVC stabilized by DDU was investigated through dynamic performance test. The results showed a better stabilizing effect compared with calcium stearate (CaSt₂) and zinc stearate (ZnSt₂). To explain the stabilization of DDU, the probable mechanism was suggested that DDU absorbed and chemically bonded with hydrogen chloride. Therefore, DDU could be used as a thermal stabilizer of PVC.     

Mechanochemical preparation of a novel polymeric photostabilizer for poly(vinyl chloride)

The preparation of a novel polymeric photostabilizer was carried out via the vibromilling of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) powder, a reactive light stabilizer (r‐LS), and a peroxide initiator in ball‐containing jars with a planetary ball mill for a certain time. The effects of the initiator content, milling time, and temperature on the grafting ratio were studied with gravimetric analysis and intrinsic viscosity measurements. Fourier transform infrared and ultraviolet–visible spectra were used to investigate the structural development of the mixture of the r‐LS and PVC during vibromilling. The results showed that the r‐LS was grafted onto PVC chains successfully, and the aforementioned factors had a significant effect on the grafting ratio. The optimum preparation conditions were 0.5 wt % initiator, 8 h, and 20°C. A grafting mechanism is proposed. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Phosphate ester groups‐containing ricinoleic acid‐based Ca/Zn: Preparation and application as novel thermal stabilizer for PVC

Phosphate ester groups containing ricinoleic acid‐based Ca/Zn (LPPRA‐Ca and LPPRA‐Zn) stabilizer was successfully synthesized from ricinoleic acid (RA) and used as thermal stabilizers for poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC). These thermal stabilizers were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance, and inductively‐coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy. The effects of LPPRA‐Ca/LPPRA‐Zn, CaSt₂/ZnSt₂, and other stabilizers on the thermal stability of PVC were studied through Congo Red test, discoloration tests, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), TGA–infrared, and TGA–mass spectrometry. The thermal stability tests show that LPPRA‐Ca/LPPRA‐Zn displays the best initial color stability and long‐term thermal stability for PVC. The superior performance is attributed to the synergistic effect of LPPRA‐Ca and LPPRA‐Zn. Moreover, a lower Zinc content of LPPRA‐Zn in PVC helps to decrease the “zipper dehydrochlorination” of the product, which contributes to a better initial thermal stability. Except for the better stabilization performance, LPPRA‐Ca/LPPRA‐Zn also displays better plasticization performance for PVC compared with other stabilizers. A possible stabilizing mechanism of PVC/LPPRA‐Ca/LPPRA‐Zn system was presented. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018 , 135, 45940.     

Design of green zinc‐based thermal stabilizers derived from tung oil fatty acid and study of thermal stabilization for PVC

In this study, a new type of mixed calcium (Ca) and zinc (Zn) thermal stabilizers was prepared and evaluated for poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) thermal stabilization. The mixed stabilizers were based on the Ca and Zn salts of polycarboxylic acid derived from eleostearic acid—the dominant fatty acid of tung oil fatty acids. Eleostearic acid was converted to a 21‐carbon diacid (C21DA) and a 22‐carbon triacid (C22TA), respectively, which were subsequently turned into calcium (Ca) and zinc (Zn) salts. Thermal stability of PVC compounds was examined by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), discoloration test, Congo red test, and thermal decomposition kinetics. In comparison, commercial mixed Ca/Zn thermal stabilizers composed of stearate salts (CaSt₂/ZnSt₂), were employed as controls. Because the salts of C21DA, C22TA and stearate have different metal contents, thermal stabilization effects were compared on the basis of both equal salt weight and equal metal ion content. It was noted that under both cases the long‐term thermal stability of the PVC samples followed the order of C21DA‐Ca/C21DA‐Zn > C22TA‐Ca/C22TA‐Zn > CaSt₂/ZnSt₂. The results suggest that the mixed Ca/Zn salts based on tung oil‐derived polycarboxylic acids have higher metal ion contents and cycloaliphatic structures and can effectively improve the thermal stability of PVC. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017 , 134, 44679.     

Esterification of ethyl hexanoic acid using flow-through catalytic membrane reactor

Catalytic membrane reactors, as a promising novel technology, are widely recommended for carrying out heterogeneous reactions. If the reactant feed is forced to flow through the pores of a membrane, which has been impregnated with a convenient catalyst, the intense contact provides high catalytic activity with negligible resistance to diffusive mass transport. The synthesis of a fatty ester (ethylhexanoic ester) by esterification was developed by the Factorial Design and Response Surface Methodology (FDRSM). Selection of factors was based on the operating conditions that have a significant influence on the esterification process, namely temperature, molar ratio of ethanol to fatty acid, and internal surface area of membrane pores. Experimental results indicated that the optimum conditions (under which the conversion achieved 99.7%) were as follows: temperature of 30°C, molar ratio of 5: 1, and internal membrane area of 252450 cm². It can be concluded that the factorial design is an important tool to reduce time and to facilitate reaching optimum reaction conditions.     

Application of Full Factorial Design for Removal of Polycyclic Aromatic Dye from Aqueous Solution Using 4A Zeolite: Adsorption Isotherms,Thermodynamic and Kinetic Studies

In this study, removal of the cationic dye acridine orange (AO) from aqueous solution using 4A zeolite was studied. The adsorption experiments were performed using batch system, and full factorial design was employed for investigating the condition of removal efficiency of dye. The four most important operating variables were the initial pH of the solution, the concentration of dye, the contact time, and the temperature. The 18 experiments were required to investigate the effect of variables on removal of the dye. The results were statistically analyzed to define important experimental variables and their levels using the analysis of variance (ANOVA). A regression model that considers the significant main and interaction effects was suggested and fitted the experimental data very well. Model predictions were found to be in good agreement (R² = 99.99%, adjusted R² = 99.86%) with experimental data. The optimized conditions for dye removal were at initial pH 3.0, 20.0 mg L^?1 dye, temperature 298.0 K and 80.0 min adsorption time. The experimental data were analyzed by the Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin and Sips adsorption models. The maximum predicted adsorption capacities for AO was obtained as 29.851 mg g^?1. The adsorption thermodynamic parameters, namely ΔH°_ads, ΔG°_ads and ΔS°_ads, were determined. Furthermore, the kinetic of AO adsorption on the 4A zeolite was analyzed using pseudo-first- and second-order kinetic models and the results showed that the removal was mainly a pseudo-second-order process.     

Process optimization of oxidative coupling of methane for ethylene production using response surface methodology

The statistical design of experiments (DoE) was used in the process study of oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) over Na? W? Mn/SiO₂ catalyst. A set of factors with a certain range was screened using factorial design with respect to three responses: methane conversion, C₂₊ products selectivity and ethylene/ethane ratio. The variances were analyzed and the interaction effects of the process parameters were evaluated. With the understanding of the process, the optimization of the process was further studied using response surface methodology coupled with central composite design (CCD). The optimum conditions were obtained as reaction temperature = 850 °C, gas hourly space velocity = 23 947 cm³ g^?1 h^?1, catalyst pretreatment period = 2 h, dilution ratio = 0.2 and CH₄/O₂ ratio = 7. 40.55% of methane conversion and 79.51% of C₂₊ product selectivity were obtained under these optimum conditions. Experimental runs under optimum conditions were repeated and compared with the simulated values obtained from the model. There was good agreement between the experimental and simulated values. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry     

Hydrodesulfurization and hydroconversion of heavy FCC gasoline on PtPd/H-USY zeolite

In the search for catalysts suitable for upgrading fractions of FCC gasoline, PtPd/USY zeolite was investigated. The objectives of the work were to reduce simultaneously the sulfur, nitrogen and aromatic contents of heavy FCC gasoline having various sulfur (30–203 ppmw) and 28 ppmw nitrogen contents. The process conditions were the following: temperature: 200–300 °C; pressure: 30 bar; liquid hourly space velocity: 1.0–3.0 h⁻¹; H₂/hydrocarbon ratio: 500 m³/m³. The results indicated that PtPd/H-USY zeolite catalyst can be applied for the desulfurization of heavy FCC gasoline up to 203 ppm sulfur content. When a base heavy FCC gasoline fraction of 30 ppmw sulfur content was used the catalyst was able to reduce the aromatic content by 14 abs.% as well as sulfur and nitrogen contents to <1 ppmw in one step. Blending calculations were made to evaluate the quality of a full range FCC gasoline obtained by mixing the desulfurized heavy FCC gasoline and the untreated light cut.     

Use of factorial design of experiments in the determination of adsorption equilibrium constants: Methyl iodide on charcoals

Factorial design methods and analysis of variance have been applied to the experimental determination of adsorption equilibrium constants. A factorial design with three levels of temperature (110°, 130° and 150°C), three particle diameters (0.3, 0.9 and 1.5 cm) and two different impregnation loadings led to the identification of significant effects and interactions for the calculation of the equilibrium constants. This methodology requires no assumptions and identifies the principal experimental variables, and their interactions, which have the greatest effect on the adsorption.     

Epoxylsilane crosslinking of rigid poly(vinyl chloride)

Crosslinking is an effective way to improve the qualities of poly(vinyl chloride). A crosslinking system consisting of R‐glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane (KH560) has been first used to introduce crosslinking into rigid poly(vinyl chloride). Different thermal stabilizers (organotin, Ca/Zn stearate, and Ba/Zn stearate) as well as sodium bisulfite additive were tried to promote the grafting of epoxyl group and enhance the degree of crosslinking. FTIR spectra showed that grafting and crosslinking of KH560 with poly(vinyl chloride) could take place, and a gel content of 40% could be obtained when more than 10 phr epoxylsilanes were used in the condition of 2 : 1 (parts by weight) ratio of BaSt₂/ZnSt₂ and 1 : 1M ratio of NaHSO₃/KH560, while the premature crosslinking was avoided. Thermal properties had been studied. The results showed that the Vicat softening temperature of crosslinked PVC could be improved about 10°C when 5 phr epoxylsilane was added, and thermal degradation could be delayed with increase in gel content. Therefore, epoxylsilane‐crosslinked PVC will have the potential for extensive applications © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2007