Effect of iron compounds (oxide,salt, or complexes) on poly(vinyl chloride) thermal and photochemical stability

The color requirements for vinyl siding have drastically evolved over the last decade and have moved toward medium to dark colors. Therefore, manufacturers are exploring new ways to modify their formulations in order to improve weather-ability of these challenging colors. Examination of some of the PVC additives typically used in these formulations has led to some interesting revelations about the performance of iron-containing pigments, which are extensively used in darker colors. A quick weathering test was designed to evaluate the effect of iron in PVC formulations, and this test clearly demonstrates the correlation between iron content and PVC photodegradation.     

Rigid cellular PVC—the next house siding material?

The technology for extruding rigid cellular PVC has grown substantially over the past decade. Formulation additives, tooling, and processing expertise have made possible a variety of applications—relatively complex profiles, foam-core pipe, thermoformable foam sheet, and house siding. In the U.S. market, vinyl house siding is typically a relatively thin extrusion that is folded into a final shape that resembles wood cladding in appearance. An alternative to conventional form vinyl siding could be a foam structure that is thicker and stiffer than the solid form, and with a density similar to that of wood. This paper presents several performance advantages of rigid cellular PVC cladding in comparison to the current solid product, in addition to mentioning certain limitations that exist in the foam product that is produced with the technology available today.     

Enhanced weatherability of exterior PVC building products

Poly(Vinyl) Chloride (PVC) is used extensively as a material for the growing building‐products market. The color preferences of consumers for markets such as vinyl siding have forced the industry to seriously reconsider the use of PVC especially for the medium‐to‐dark color palettes, where the performance is critical. Organotin mercaptides have always been the stabilizers of choice in the U.S. market because of their inherent outstanding heat‐stabilization properties. On the other hand, this technology is also known to be a compromise between processability and weathering characteristics. In a market that drives for excellence, all additives must be optimized to meet the final performance requirement. Organotin carboxylates and specifically maleates have long been known for excellent weathering but have not been used extensively in the industry owing to less‐than‐optimum intrinsic heat stabilization efficiency, and in some cases, troublesome lachrymatory properties. A new generation of organotin maleates has been successfully developed to address both issues. This paper describes the improved lachrymatory behavior of the new technology compared to standard organotin maleates and also shows its outstanding weathering performance in PVC capstock compared with conventional organotin mercaptide during natural aging.     

Weatherability of rigid vinyl siding

Vinyl siding is described as a product in the early maturity stage of business development. The competitive position of rigid vinyl siding vis-a-vis other products is discussed. Total weathering exposures from point sources not usually thought of are reviewed. Methods of control for weathering caused changes as well as resistance evaluation are covered. The impact on the industry of the voluntary product standard PS55-72 is mentioned.     

Superior balance of weatherability and impact performance with acrylic‐capped vinyl siding

Vinyl siding, particularly in darker colors, has to be durable and be able to retain most of its original color when exposed outdoors. As the color palette for vinyl siding has been expanding and more and more colors are being offered to the homeowner, the need exists to improve color hold. A new acrylic capstock polymer, based on core‐shell technology, which can be coextruded onto vinyl siding, has been shown to provide excellent color retention, with good processability, impact and impact retention, and suitable gloss. The properties of this new capstock polymer are compared to other choices for capping vinyl siding. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 13:26–30, 2007. © 2007 Society of Plastics Engineers.     

A novel impact modifier system for vinyl siding and profile substrate

The use of a newly developed ABS impact modifier in coextruded vinyl siding and window profile substrate is discussed. Considerations of toughness at room and low temperature, output, reduced lubricant levels, and weatherability of the finished siding are reviewed. Actual outdoor weathering results are presented, along with long-term heat aging tests, showing the modifier to have good property retention characteristics.     

Fourier transform infrared micro spectroscopy mapping. Applications to the vinyl siding industry

Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) micro spectroscopy is a powerful analytical technique capable of yielding high quality information with a spatial resolution as low as 10 microns. When coupled with an automated mapping stage it can offer unique evaluation capabilities. This paper describes a number of applications of FT-IR micro spectroscopy mapping to the vinyl siding industry. Examples will focus on determining, in single sample mapping experiments, the compositional changes associated with capstock to substrate transition and evaluating the degradation species and level observed during weathering exposure throughout the thickness of the siding panel.     

Development of poly(vinyl chloride)/wood composites. A literature review

Poly(vinyl chloride)/wood fiber (flour) composites are currently experiencing a dramatic increase in use. Most of them are used to produce window/door profiles, decking, railing, and siding by using conical counterrotating intermeshing twin‐screw extruders. Heat stabilizers, processing aids, impact modifiers, lubricants, and pigments are still important for PVC/wood composite formulations. Poly[methylene(polyphenyl isocyanate)] (PMPPIC), γ‐aminopropyltriethoxysilane, maleated polypropylene (MAPP), and copper metallic complex have proved to be effective coupling agents for this composite system. Mechanical properties of PVC/wood composites can be enhanced by combining wood with mica or glass fibers to form hybrid reinforcements. Ultraviolet light resistance and weathering dimensional stabilities of PVC/wood composites are superior to those of natural wood. Density reduction can be achieved through the microcellular foaming technique by using chemical blowing agents, such as azodicarbonamide and sodium bicarbonate, or physical blowing agents, such as carbon dioxide. J. Vinyl Addit. Technol. 10:59–69, 2004. © 2004 Society of Plastics Engineers.     

单螺杆挤出机高速挤出技术研究进展

回顾了单螺杆挤出机高速挤出技术的发展史。通过将普通挤出机和高速挤出机进行对比,分别从挤压系统结构、加热冷却系统和驱动系统3个角度详细分析了单螺杆高速挤出机在螺杆参数及螺杆布局、机筒冷却方式及流道布置和驱动方式3个方面的创新之处。并对当今世界一些顶级挤出机生产商的最新产品进行了列表概括总结。最后,在指出现有高速挤出机不足之处的同时,也提出了未来在对物料适应性及模拟控制方面的最新研究发展方向。     

Attack of the artillery fungus on vinyl siding

The artillery fungus, Sphaerobolus stellatus, ejects dark‐colored spores for a distance of several meters. These are enclosed in an adhesive layer comprised of carotenoid pigments. On exposure to sunlight, the pigment layer resinifies and develops a strong bond to vinyl siding capstock. The damage is compounded when the homeowner removes the bonded spores abrasively, destroying the protective capstock layer. Strategies to protect vinyl siding or to defeat the microorganism are discussed. J. VINYL. ADDIT. TECHNOL., 11:63–64, 2005. © 2005 Society of Plastics Engineers     

新型带孔销钉混合段及其分布混合性能

介绍了一种国外开发的用于改善单螺杆挤出机混合性能的新型带孔（或带槽）销钉混合段,与常规销钉混合段相比,其混合能力强,熔体温度 低,当销钉间的轴向距离在11－14mm之间时,有效地加强了熔体的周向汉动,极大地改善了单螺杆挤出机的分布混合性能。     

Volatiles released during the weathering of PVC

Volatile organic compounds and organochlorine species liberated by UV exposure of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) siding samples have been identified and preliminary quantification made. These volatiles included those remaining in a PVC sample after weathering or laboratory UV exposure and which could be released by thermal desorption. In addition, by using a flow-through cell and granular carbon adsorbents, volatile species directly desorbed during laboratory UV exposure were measured. Total directly desorbed organochlorine compounds were about 1/20 of the weight of hydrogen chloride as measured by conductometric analysis, Quite similar products were observed from old (～1984) and current (1995) commercial siding formulations. Observed volatile compounds are proposed to come from the TiO₂-controlled photo-oxidation of both PVC and its additives such as impact modifiers.     

Analysis of the performance of cooling extruders in thermoplastic foam extrusion

The performance of cooling extruders widely used in thermoplastic foam extrusion was analyzed, by numerically solving the equations of motion and heat transfer. Analysis of cooling extruders does not require a consideration of the melting behavior of polymers, thus simplifying the system equations considerably. The flow geometry analyzed was an unwound screw channel of a single-screw extruder, i.e., a rectangular channel of uniform height followed by diverging and converging sections. Due to the cooling of both the extruder barrel and the screw, the heat transfer equation considered includes the terms describing the convective heat transfer in the down-channel direction and the conductive heat transfer in the cross-channel direction, in addition to the terms describing the viscous shear heating. For the analysis, a power-law model was used as the constitutive rheologlcal equation, describing the viscosities of a mixture of a fluorocarbon blowing agent and a low-density polyethylene melt (or polystyrene melt). The parameters in the Theological model were determined using the data of Han and Ma (13). In obtaining numerical solutions of the equations of motion, an integration method was employed to overcome the problem of numerical instabilities. The present analysis predicts the profiles of developing temperature and velocity in the down-channel direction, and the profiles of temperature, velocity, shear rate, and viscosity in the cross-channel direction. In presenting the results of computer simulation, emphasis is placed on the effects of cooling the extruder barrel and screw on the performance of cooling extruders, in terms of the pressure drops along the extruder axis and the mechanical power consumption. This study provides a rational basis for the design of cooling extruders widely used in thermoplastic foam extrusion and for the selection of optimum extrusion conditions in producing thermoplastic foams.     

Heat distortion temperature modification of rigid PVC and chlorinated PVC: A method to produce low smoke compositions

The use of a new low smoke, heat distortion temperature modifier for rigid PVC and chlorinated PVC is discussed. This material, CN-1427, is a tetrabromobisphenol A carbonate oligomer which is compatible with vinyl compositions. The carbonate oligomer can be compounded into PVC resin to improve heat distortion temperature of PVC and CPVC by 20–30°C. Unlike conventional HDT modifiers, brominated carbonate oligomers do not increase smoke evolution during flammability testing. Thus, using carbonate oligomer technology, it is possible to achieve low smoke, Class I (ASTM E-84) and V-O flammability (UL-94) performance. Vinyl compositions, modified with the carbonate oligomer described in this work, can be utilized as an alternative to expensive engineering thermoplastics. This paper reports recent studies on the use of carbonate oligomers as heat distortion temperature modifiers for low smoke vinyl applications. Formulation information addressing flammability and physical property performance is presented in detail.     

The weathering of vinyl siding

This paper describes the development of numerical color hold guidelines proposed as a replacement for the visual weathering standard in the ASTM specification for vinyl siding. Data are presented that indicate that maximum weather color change occurs after 2 to 3 years with very little change thereafter. After approximately 2 to 3 years, the averaged Δ L (lightness increase) for each color was greater at 90° south exposure than at 45° south exposure and Δ L changes were lowest in Arizona, with Florida next, and highest in New Jersey and Ohio. A mechanism is proposed with supporting data that gives an explanation for the observed weathering results.     

Extrusion of non-newtonian fluids in a single-screw extruder with pressure back flow

The transport phenomena underlying the extrusion of non-Newtonian fluids in single-screw extruders is investigated numerically and experimentally. The viscosity of the investigated fluids is a strong function of the temperature and, for the non-Newtonian case, of the shear rate. Therefore, the governing equations of motion are coupled to the energy equation through the viscosity. The velocity in the down channel direction of the screw extruder is a result of both shear and pressure driven transport. The pressure acts in a direction opposite to that of the drag flow, and comparatively high pressures arise at the die in typical extruders. When a narrow die is used in the screw extruder, the pressure gradient in the down-channel direction becomes so large that the down-channel velocity near the screw root becomes negative in terms of the coordinate system fixed to the screw. The conventional marching schemes fail to simulate the fluid flow when the down-channel velocity becomes negative, since the downstream conditions are not known. Two different numerical schemes used to simulate the fluid flow in a single-screw extruder for this circumstance, which often arises when dies with high flow resistance are used and which is termed as pressure back flow in the literature, have been discussed. One scheme is based on including the down-channel thermal diffusion, making the problem elliptic, and the other scheme uses a different coordinate system. Both formulations are found to yield results that are fairly close. Experiments were also carried out to measure the pressures at three different locations in a single-screw extruder. The computed results were found to be in good agreement with the experimental results. The pressures at the die obtained numerically by treating the flow as isothermal are found to be lower than those obtained when the flow is treated as nonisothermal, indicating the strong influence of thermal transport in this problem.     

Predicting heat buildup due to the sun's energy

PVC building products such as siding, windows, and roofings are exposed to the sun. Absorption of the sun's energy leads to a temperature rise, which may cause dimensional control problems, such as expansion and, in severe cases, distortion of the PVC products. The amount of heat buildup in the product depends on the color and/or pigment system of the PVC compound. Generally, the darker the color, the more the sun's energy is absorbed and the higher the temperature heat buildup. Because of the growing demand for darker colors of PVC building products, a test for measuring temperature rise to predict performance of the product in actual use is needed. A laboratory test method for predicting maximum heat buildup due to the sun is described in this paper. The effects of the sample thickness and gloss, carbon black and titanium dioxide levels, and the distance of an infrared heat source from the sample on the heat buildup are also presented in the paper.     

EPDM/PP共混型热塑性弹性体的研制

以充油（乙烯/丙烯/二烯）共聚物（EPDM）、粉状聚丙烯（PP）、超细活性滑石粉为基本材料,采用动态硫化法在单螺杆挤出机组上制备了完全交联的EPDM/PP共混型热塑性弹性体（TPV）;探讨了TPV的配方组成、工艺条件与性能的关系;摸索了TPV的加工性;为TPV的投产与应用提供技术参数。