Antiplasticization and transition to marked nonlinear viscoelasticity in poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC)/poly-ε-caprolactone (PCL) blends

Measurements of mechanical damping (tan δ) in the temperature range of ?120° to +120°C at 110 Hz, of uniaxial tensile creep at 25.0° ± 0.5°C covering creep times from 10 to 1000 sec, and of impact strength at 21°C have been carried out for a series of physical PVC/PCL blends in the composition range of 0%–12% by weight of PCL in the blend. With increasing PCL content in the blend, the α-peak of PVC was shifted to lower temperatures and became broadened. The β-peak of PVC was also shifted to lower temperatures and was markedly suppressed. The tensile creep compliance of approximately linear viscoelasticity showed a maximum decrease of 10%, and the impact resistance was reduced 3.5 times when 5% and 12% by weight of PCL, respectively, was blended with PVC. There was also a considerable increase (25%) in stress level at which the transition from approximately linear to markedly nonlinear viscoelasticity occurred when up to 5% by weight of PCL was added to the PVC. These results are attributed to the antiplasticizing effect of PCL on PVC. They support the importance of β-mechanism in the stress-activated processes proposed to be responsible for the appearance of nonlinear viscoelasticity in glassy polymers, and they are in agreement with the pseudocrosslinking concept of antiplasticization. By comparing the antiplasticization behavior of PVC/PCL blends with that of PVC/DOA and PVC/DOS from reported data, it was possible to obtaing an idea of the level of compatibility in the PVC/PCL blends. The results suggest that PCL is partially compatible with PVC.     

Effect of liquid plasticizers on crystallization of PCL in soft PVC/PCL/plasticizer blends

In this work, poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) and liquid plasticizer were combined used to plasticize poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC), and the possibility of using PVC/PCL/plasticizer blends to fabricate soft PVC with enhanced migration resistance was investigated. Through partial replacement of liquid plasticizers in soft PVC by equal quantity of PCL, flexibility was maintained while extraction loss of plasticizer by organic solvent was reduced significantly. Furthermore, crystallization of PCL in PVC/PCL/plasticizer blends with low PCL content was observed, and crystallization rate of PCL was found to be influenced by plasticizer contents and structures. For instance, crystallization rate of PCL in PVC/PCL/diisononyl phthalate (DINP) (100/40/100) was 3.7 times faster than in PVC/PCL/DINP (100/40/80), while crystallization rate of PCL in PVC/PCL/dioctyl adipate(DOA)(100/40/100) was 8.3 times faster than in PVC/PCL/diisononyl cyclohexane-1,2-dicarboxylate (DINCH) (100/40/100). Low-field ¹H NMR test manifested that different crystallization rate of PCL in PVC/PCL/plasticizer blends with different plasticizer structures was triggered by difference in plasticizers' compatibility with PVC, that is, the number of interaction point between PVC and plasticizers. It is concluded that PCL crystallization favored by liquid plasticizers in PVC/PCL/plasticizer blends was induced by interaction competition between PVC/plasticizer and PVC/PCL. As plasticizer content increases or its compatibility with PVC decreases, interaction competition becomes more intense and consequently faster crystallization of PCL occurs. Thus, to obtain soft PVC products with improve migration resistance while avoiding PCL crystallization, the total content of plasticizer (including both liquid plasticizer and PCL) should be lower than 66 phr (40 wt %). © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020 , 137, 48803.     

DSC studies of poly(vinyl chloride)/poly(ε-caprolactone)/poly(ε-caprolactone)-b-poly(dimethylsiloxane) blends

Poly(vinyl chloride)/poly(ε-caprolactone)/poly(ε-caprolactone)-b-poly(dimethylsiloxane) [PVC/PCL/(PCL-b-PDMS)] blends were prepared by solvent casting from tetrahydrofuran. The content of PVC was kept constant (60 wt%); the PCL and PCL-b-PDMS contents were varied by replacing different amounts of PCL [0–20 wt% from the PVC/PCL (60/40) blend] with PCL-b-PDMS copolymer having different molecular weights of the PCL blocks. The thermal properties of prepared blends were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry in order to analyse miscibility (through glass transition temperature) and crystallinity. Differential scanning calorimetry analyses show that the PVC/PCL/PCL-b-PDMS blends are multi-phase materials which contain a PVC plasticized with PCL phase, a block copolymer PCL-b-PDMS phase (with crystalline and amorphous PCL and PDMS domains) and a PCL phase (preponderantly crystalline).     

Thermal degradation of ternary blends of poly(ε‐caprolactone)/poly(vinyl acetate)/poly(vinyl chloride)

The thermal degradation of ternary blends of poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL), poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAC), and poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) was studied using a thermogravimetry analyzer under dynamic heating in flowing nitrogen atmosphere. PCL degraded in a single stage, whereas the PVAC and PVC degraded in two stages during which acid is released in the first stage followed by backbone breakage in the second stage. The addition of PVC to either PCL or PVAC affected the thermal stability of the blend, whereas the addition of PVAC to PCL did not alter the thermal stability of the blend. In ternary blends, the addition of PVC affected the degradation of PVAC but did not influence the degradation of PCL in the range investigated. The increased addition of PCL to the binary blends of PVC/PVAC decreased the extent of thermal instability of PVAC because of the addition of PVC. The addition of even 10% PVAC to the PCL/PVC blend removed the thermal instability of PCL resulting from the addition of PVC and can be attributed to the ease of chlorine or hydrogen chloride capture of PVAC over PCL. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 93: 1378–1383, 2004     

Mechanical properties of oriented poly(vinyl chloride)–poly(caprolactone) blends

Blends of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) with polycaprolactone (PCL) of different compositions were prepared from solutions in tetrahydrofuran (THF). The dried blends were stretched at different temperatures above the glass transition, and the birefringence and mechanical properties were studied. It is shown that the birefringence of PVC and the 75/25 PVC/PCL blend follows an affine deformation scheme with a decreasing number of segments with deformation. The 50/50 PVC/PCL blend shows a complex orientation behavior because of the presence of crystallinity in the PCL phase. The mechanical properties of the blends are shown to increase with orientation, and the aggregate model is acceptably followed by the amorphous oriented blends.     

Phase equilibrium in the binary and ternary blend system: Polycaprolactone-polyvinyl chloride-styrene acrylonitrile copolymer

An experimental study of binary and ternary phase equilibrium in the system polycaprolactone (PCL) poly(vi-nylchloride) (PVC)-77/23 styrene-acrylonitrile copolymer (SAN) is described. Miscibility is determined using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and turbidity. PCL/PVC and PCL/SAN are largely miscible systems but PVC/SAN is immiscible. The ternary system shows considerable miscibility. The blends are characterized by polarized light microscopy and wide-angle X-ray diffraction. The former measurement characterizes the structure of the spherulites. Additions of PVC, SAN, or PVC/SAN causes the spherulites observed in PCL to grow in size and become coarse. X-ray diffraction shows no movement of crystallographic peaks indicating the crystallographic unit cell is composed of PCL. Melting point depression measurements are used to calculate Flory χ interaction parameters for PCL/PVC and PCL/SAN. The melting point depression is also considered and used to investigate PVC/SAN interaction. An effort is made to compute the ternary phase diagram and tie lines.     

Free volume as an internal material parameter to probe interfaces in ternary polymer blends: A positron lifetime study

A new method to characterize individual interfaces in ternary polymer blends from experimentally measured fractional free volume from Positron Annihilation Lifetime Spectroscopy (PALS) has been developed. By this, we derive the composition dependent miscibility level in ternary polymer blends. This method has its genesis in KRZ (Kirkwood–Risemann–Zimm) theory which introduces hydrodynamic interaction parameter as a measure of excess friction generated at the interface between dissimilar polymer chains resulting in energy dissipation. The method successfully applied for binary blends has been theoretically modified to suit ternary blends in the present work. The efficacy of this method has been tested for two ternary blends namely polycaprolactone/poly(styrene‐co‐acrylonitrile)/poly(vinyl chloride) (PCL/SAN/PVC) and polycaprolactone/poly(vinyl chloride)/poly(vinyl acetate) (PCL/PVC/PVAc) in different compositions. We obtained a maximum effective hydrodynamic interaction (α_eff) of ?12.60 at composition 80/10/10 of PCL/PVC/PVAc while PCL/SAN/PVC showed ?1.60 at 68/16/16 composition. These results suggest that these compositions produce high miscibility level as compared to other compositions. DSC measurements have also been used to supplement positron results. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 130: 3335–3344, 2013     

Wide angle X-ray diffraction investigation of crystal orientation in miscible blend of poly(ε-caprolactone)/poly(vinyl chloride) crystallized under strain

The orientation of poly(ε-caprolactone) crystals in miscible poly(ε-caprolactone)/poly(vinyl chloride) (PCL/PVC) blends, melt crystallized under strain, has been studied by wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD). At low draw ratios or low PVC contents, all the observable (hk0) crystal reflections orient towards the meridional direction in WAXD patterns, indicating the presence of ring-fibre orientation. With the increase of draw ratio or PVC content, additional crystal orientation with the crystal a-axis parallel to the stretching direction is found to superimpose on the WAXD pattern of ring-fibre orientation. Both the ring-fibre orientation, which dominates the WAXD pattern, and the a-axis orientation are characterized by the perpendicular orientation of the crystal c-axis to the stretching direction. The unusual PCL orientation is a consequence of the combined effects of both the stretching and the presence of PVC in the PCL/PVC blends.     

Effect of the composition of α-MSAN copolymer on the miscibility of PVC/α-MSAN blends

A series of α-methylstyrene, styrene, and acrylonitrile (α-MSAN) copolymers with different acrylonitrile (AN) contents were synthesized by altering α-MSt, St, and AN ratios with emulsion copolymerization method. By melt-blending these copolymers with PVC resin and di-isooctyl phthalate (DOP), PVC/α-MSAN, and PVC/α-MSAN/DOP blends were prepared. The miscibility and morphology of the blends were investigated by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and scanning electron microscopy. The PVC is immiscible with SAN by melt-mixing, whereas PVC is miscible with α-MSAN (α-MSt/St = 1/1) if AN weight percent is within the window range of 20–25 wt %, and α-MSAN (not containing St) with 35 wt % AN is miscible with PVC even when they are blended by melt-mixing. Replacement of styrene with α-methylstyrene widens the miscibility window with PVC. The miscibility of PVC/α-MSAN blends is substantially improved with the increasing α-MSt content in α-MSAN copolymer containing identical AN content. When DOP was introduced into the PVC/α-MSAN (α-MSt/St = 1/1) blends, a single tan δ peak over room temperature in DMA detection is found as AN content in α-MSAN copolymer is within the range of 15–25 wt %, and SEM observation also shows that the blends are homogeneous. When the AN content in α-MSAN copolymer is over 35 wt %, the presence of DOP causes the phase domain extended. The phase domain size of the PVC/α-MSAN/DOP blends intensively depends on AN content in α-MSAN copolymer. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Viscoelastic and engineering properties of poly(vinyl chloride) plasticized with polycaprolactone-based polyurethanes

The plasticization of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) by polyurethanes made from polycaprolactone (PCL) diol and p.p′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI) was investigated. By varying the PCL chain length and substituting with polyether chains such as poly(tetramethylene ether) (PTME) or poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), also of various chain lengths, the efficiency of plasticization was changed. High urethane content, such as obtained with PCL-530/MDI, decreased the miscibility of the polyurethane and PVC. Plasticizing efficiency of the polyurethanes, as indicated by transparency, flexibility, and engineering properties of the blend, increased on increasing the initial PCL chain length. However, polyurethanes containing very high-molecular-weight PCL (e.g., PCL-3000) slowly crystallized from a 50:50 blend with PVC. PVC/polyurethane ratio also had a significant effect on crystallization, as indicated by the rapid crystallization of PCL-2000/MDI polyurethane when it exceeded 50 wt % in the blend. The transparency and flexiblity of 50:50 blends were lowered by systematically replacing PVC-miscible PCL-2000 segments in the polyurethane with PTME-2000, PEO-200, and PEO-1500 segments. The polyurethanes became highly immiscible in PVC beyond the limiting mole fraction replacements of 0.6 for PTME-2000, 0.8 for PEO-200, and 0.4 for PEO-1500. Such chemical modification gave controlled and temperature-dependent miscibility in PVC and consequently blends with broadened glass transitions and high damping properties over a wide temperature range. Decreased miscibility in the blend gradually decreased elongation at break and tensile strength, but increased the modulus. A general correlation of the viscoelastic and tensile properties of the 50:50 blends with the weight fraction, rather than mole fraction, of the PCL content in the polyurethane composition was found; replacement of PCL beyond a limiting weight fraction by polyethers and MDI produced PVC-immiscible polyurethane. These limiting weight fractions are 0.6, 0.5, and 0.4 with PTME-2000, PEO-200, and PEO-1500, respectively, which denotes the order of decreasing miscibility of these polyurethanes in PVC. Viscoelastic and engineering properties of the blend with a particular polyurethane could also be controlled by varying the PVC/polyurethane ratio. Many of these semimiscible blends showed evidence by lower critical solution temperature (LCST) behavior at about ?30°C, but complete cloud and point curves were not constructed.     

Morphologies of miscible PCL/PVC blends confined in ultrathin films

Morphologies of ultrathin films (10–60 nm) of miscible poly(ε-caprolactone)/poly(vinyl chloride) (PCL/PVC) blends have been investigated under isothermal crystallization conditions by real time atomic force microscopy, and electron diffraction techniques. It was found that the morphology and growth rate of PCL/PVC blends strongly depend on the blend composition, crystallization temperature and film thickness. At a film thickness of 30 nm, the truncated lozenge-shape morphology of pure PCL crystals, found when the growth rate is slow, bent with increasing PVC content to form S-shaped or inverted S-shaped crystals, the curvature increasing by lowering the crystallization temperature. Electron diffraction patterns reveal that these crystals are flat-on single crystals with the PCL molecular chains (c axis) in the blends slightly tilted with respect to the lamella normal, while the b direction of the crystal lattice, corresponding to the fast growing direction of the growth front, follows a S line. Upon decreasing the film thickness (<30 nm), the S-shaped or inverted S-shaped crystals transform into four-branch dendritic lamellae.     

The physical properties and morphology of poly-ϵ-caprolactone polymer blends

The compatibility, morphology, and mechanical properties of poly-?-caprolactone (PCL) blended with poly(vinyl chloride), nitrocellulose, and cellulose acetate butyrate are described in this study. Methods used in this investigation included differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic mechanical testing, small-angle light scattering, light microscopy and stress–strain testing. Blends of PCL with poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) are shown to be compatible in all proportions. In the PCL concentration range 40–100%, the PCL crystallizes in the form of negative spherulites. The spherulites were found to be volume filling with as much as 35% PVC. The nitrocellulose blends with PCL exhibited the glass transition behavior of a compatible system over the composition range of 50–100% PCL. At lower PCL concentrations, phase separation was apparent. The PCL crystallinity was present only in the nitrocellulose blends with more than 50% PCL, and it was in the form of rod-like super-structures. Blends of PCL with cellulose acetate butyrate were shown to be phase separated, with one phase having nearly equal proportions of the two polymers. The PCL crystallinity was in the form of negative spherulites and was formed with PCL compositions as low as 50%. Stress–strain results show polycaprolactone to be an effective plasticizer for poly(vinyl chloride) and the cellulose derivatives studied.     

Miscibility phenomena in polyester/chlorinated polymer blends

Poly(caprolactone) (PCL)/poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) blends are known to be miscible in the solid state. Recents measurements however indicate that a large number of polyesters are also miscible with PVC if the ratio CH₂/C?O of the polyester is between 4 and 10. At low CH₂/C?O ratios, polyesters are too rigid to interact specifically with PVC. At high CH₂/C?O ratios, the number of interacting groups becomes too small to give miscibility. Similarly, a large number of chlorinated polymers are shown to be miscible with PCL if their chlorine content is high enough. Surprisingly, polyesters are not in general miscible with chlorinated polymers if the mixture does not contain either PCL or PVC. The results presented in this paper suggest that a dipole-dipole interaction, between the carbonyl groups and the C-Cl groups, is responsible for the miscibility phenomena observed in polyester/chlorinated polymer blends.     

Toughening PVC with Biocompatible PCL Softeners for Supreme Mechanical Properties,Morphology, Shape Memory Effects,and FFF Printability

In this article, a first of its kind blend of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and biocompatible polycaprolactone (PCL) is introduced by melt mixing and then 3D printed successfully via Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF). Experimental tests are carried out on PCL-PVC blends to assess thermo-mechanical behaviors, morphology, fracture toughness, shape-memory effects and printability. Macro and microscopic tests reveal that PVC-PCL compounds are miscible due to high molecular compatibility and strong interaction. This causes extraordinary mechanical properties specially for PVC-10 wt% PCL. In addition to the desired tensile strength (45 MPa), this material has a completely rubbery behavior at ambient temperature, and its total elongation is more than 81%. In addition, due to the high formability of PVC-PCL at ambient temperature, it has capability of being programed via different shape-memory protocols. Programming tests show that PVC-PCL blends have an excellent shape-memory effect and result in 100% shape recovery. SEM results prove a high improvement of PVC printability with the addition of 10 wt% PCL. Toughened PVC by PCL is herein added to the materials library of FFF 3D printers and expected to revolutionize applications of PVC compounds in the field of biomedical 3D and 4D printing due to its appropriate thermo-mechanical properties, supreme printability, and excellent biocompatibility.     

Effect of intramolecular interactions on the miscibility windows of PVC blends with modified SAN copolymers

We investigated the miscibility windows in the blends of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) with chemically modified styrene/acrylonitrile (SAN) copolymers such as α-methyl styrene/acrylonitrile (α SAN), α-methyl styrene/methacrylonitrile (MSMAN). The blends of PVC with α SAN were found to have the broader miscibility window. This enhanced miscibility was interpreted in terms of intramolecular repulsion that originates from unfavorable interaction between counits of the copolymers and also intramolecular association of AN units. The intramolecular interactions were studied by using Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. These interactions were reflected by a peak broadening in the nitrile stretching band in the acrylonitrile segments. The intermolecular interactions governing the miscibility in the blends of PVC with the series of copolymers were also discussed.     

Mechanical and thermal properties of poly(vinyl chloride)/α‐methyl‐styrene‐acrylonitrile blends prepared by melt extrusion

In this article, we have examined the physical and mechanical properties of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC)/α‐methyl‐styrene‐acrylonitrile (αMSAN; 31 wt % AN concentrations) blends with different blend ratios. And, we also examined the effect of the molecular weights of PVC on the miscibility and material properties of the blends prepared by melt extrusion blending. Our results showed that the PVC/αMSAN blends have good processing properties and good miscibility over all blend ratios because of the strong interaction between PVC and αMSAN. And, the blends showed enhanced mechanical and thermal properties. In addition, high molecular weight PVC showed reasonable processability when melt blended with αMSAN, which resulted in enhanced mechanical and physical properties. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Miscibility,morphology and tensile properties of vinyl chloride polymer and poly(ε‐caprolactone) blends

The miscibility, morphology and tensile properties of three blend systems of poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL) with poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) and with two chlorinated PVCs (CPVCs) with different chlorine contents (63 wt% and 67 wt% of Cl) have been studied. Based on the shifts of single glass transition temperature, the Gordon–Taylor K parameter is calculated as a measurement of interaction strength between PCL and (C)PVCs. Higher K values are found for blends of (C)PVCs with higher chlorine content, together with the interaction χ parameters estimated from the melting point depression results. The morphology observed with polarized light microscopy shows that spherulites exist in blends rich in PCL (≥50 wt%) only. Wide angle X‐ray diffraction studies indicate that the crystal structure of PCL is independent of the Cl content of (C)PVCs. The tensile properties of various blends exhibit a minimum as the PCL content increases. The elongation at break increases with increasing PCL content. © 2000 Society of Chemical Industry     

Fourier transform infrared studies of poly(vinyl chloride) blends with ethylene Co- and terpolymers

The miscibility of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) with various ethylene copolymers and terpolymers were investigated using FT-IR spectroscopy. All blends reported were 50/50 by weight. In blends of PVC with ethylene/dimethyl acrylamide copolymer (E/DMA), frequency shifts were observed in the amide carbonyl (proton acceptor) and the α-hydrogen of PVC (proton donor) characteristic bands. In blends of PVC with ethylene/ethyl acrylate/carbon monoxide terpolymer (E/EA/CO), both the ester carbonyl and the ketone carbonyl characteristic frequencies showed mutual shifts and appeared as if they merged together. Small frequency shifts were also observed in the α-hydrogen of PVC characteristic bands. In blends of PVC with ethylene/vinyl acetate/carbon monoxide terpolymer (E/VA/CO), the ester carbonyl frequency showed a shift while that of the ketone carbonyl was essentially unchanged. On the other hand, in PVC blends with ethylene/vinyl acetate copolymer (E/VA), the ester CO frequency did not show any shift, which is consistent with their observed immiscibility. Thus, it is clear that incorporating a ketone ? C?O in ethylene/ester copolymers to form the corresponding terpolymers enhances their miscibility with PVC as earlier proposed on the basis of dynamic mechanical studies. Similar results were shown for blends of PVC with ethylene/2 ethyl hexyl acrylate/carbon monoxide terpolymer (E/2EHA/CO). Frequency shifts imply specific interactions which suggest polymer-polyer miscibility on a molecular scale.     

Miscibility and rheological properties of poly(vinyl chloride)/styrene–acrylonitrile blends prepared by melt extrusion

Styrene–acrylonitrile (SAN) with acrylonitrile (AN) concentrations of 11.6–26 wt % and α‐methylstyrene acrylonitrile (αMSAN) with a wide range of AN concentrations are miscible with poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) through solution blending. Here we examine the rheological properties and miscibility of PVC/SAN and PVC/αMSAN blends prepared by melt extrusion for commercial applications. We have investigated the rheological properties of the blends with a rheometer and a melt indexer. The PVC/SAN and PVC/αMSAN blends have a low melting torque, a long degradation time, and a high melt index, and this means that they have better processability than pure PVC. The miscibility of the blends has been characterized with differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic mechanical thermal analysis, and advanced rheometrics expansion system analysis. The miscibility of the blends has also been characterized with scanning electron microscopy. The SAN series with AN concentrations of 24–31 wt % is immiscible with PVC by melt extrusion, whereas αMSAN with 31 wt % AN is miscible with PVC, even when they are blended by melt extrusion, because of the strong interaction between PVC and αMSAN. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2007     

Prevention of surface defects in calendered poly(vinyl chloride) sheets using a succinate-capped poly(caprolactone) additive

Surface defects known as “gas checks” often mar the surfaces of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) calendered films. These defects are typically prevented through changes in the calender operating parameters, a costly exercise which also limits the sheet thickness and the production rate. Adding a low concentration of poly(caprolactone) (PCL)-based star-shaped compound can eliminate gas check defects in PVC calendering. The effects of a triheptylsuccinate-terminated PCL with a PCL triol core and number average molecular weight of 540 g/mol (i.e., PCL₅₄₀-[(succ)-C₇]₃) has been investigated on the material, thermal, and processing properties of PVC blends containing diisononyl phthalate (DINP) as a primary plasticizer and PCL₅₄₀-[(succ)-C₇]₃ in low quantities (i.e., 0, 5, or 10 parts per hundred rubber (phr)) as a secondary plasticizer and processing aid. The most significant differences between PVC blends containing PCL₅₄₀-[(succ)-C₇]₃ and those without are in the rheological properties of the PVC blends at higher temperatures and lower angular frequencies. Under these conditions, PVC blends containing 10 phr of PCL₅₄₀-[(succ)-C₇]₃ have a complex viscosity nearly three times higher than those containing only DINP. PVC/PCL₅₄₀-[(succ)-C₇]₃ blends had comparable tensile properties to those containing only DINP, with no significant change in maximum elongation and a small but significant increase of 28% in maximum stress. The addition of PCL₅₄₀-[(succ)-C₇]₃ made it possible to produce calendered films without gas checks that were twice as thick as those produced in its absence. In addition to reduced wastage of marred films, the increased calender operating range for PVC films containing PCL₅₄₀-[(succ)-C₇]₃ has the potential to significantly reduce energy costs for the calendering of thick PVC films.