On the dynamic state of plasticized poly(vinyl chloride)

The spin probe technique is suggested to be suitable for the study of polymer-plasticizer interactions. In this work it was found that the rotational relaxation time (τ) of probe radicals in plasticized poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) diminishes strongly when the amount of plasticizer is increased. A linear correlation between τ and Young's modulus (G) was observed. This indicated that the microstate considerably influences the mechanical behaviour of the gel. The translational diffusion constant of plasticizer molecules at 25°C was calculated to change from 0.2 times; 10^-8 cm²/s (PVC weight fraction 0.83) to 4.6 times; 10^-8 cm²/s, (PVC weight fraction 0.20). These values indicate a high degree of freedom for lateral motion of plasticizer molecules in gels.     

Synthesis and application of an environmental epoxy plasticizer with phthalate-like structure based on tung oil and cardanol for poly(vinyl chloride)

An epoxidized cardanol tungoleate (ECT) based on tung oil and cardanol was synthesized through esterification and epoxidation. The chemical structure of the compound was verified by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and proton nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H-NMR). The plasticizing effects of ECT as the main plasticizer in poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) was studied and compared with the commercial plasticizer dioctyl phthalate (DOP). The thermal migration stabilities, the thermal degradation process and the mechanical properties of PVC samples and the plasticization mechanism of ECT for PVC were investigated through the use of volatility, extraction, discoloration, and tensile tests as well as thermal gravity analysis (TGA), TGA–FTIR analysis, electronic universal testing machine and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). Compared with DOP, the ECT plasticized PVC can exhibits better thermal stability, more excellent tensile strength (17.28 MPa) and higher stretchability (629.41%), which is 1161% higher than DOP (1.37 MPa) plasticized PVC film. In addition, the migration resistance and volatility stability of ECT are much better than DOP. Therefore, this fully bio-based plasticizer based on tung oil and cardanol is a promising alternative plasticizer for PVC and may be an excellent phthalate substitute from the perspective of human health and sustainable development.     

The effect of zinc borate in combination with ammonium octamolybdate or zinc stannate on smoke suppression in flexible PVC

The effect of combinations of zinc borate with ammonium octamolybdate or zinc stannate on smoke suppression upon combustion of flexible PVC was studied. Effects on Oxygen Index and on residual char after ten minutes at 560°C were also evaluated. These studies were done using both a conventional dioctyl phthalate (DOP) plasticizer and a mixed plasticizer consisting of a 1:1 combination of DOP and an alkyl aryl phosphate ester. For both plsticizer systems, results showed that combinations of the zinc borate with either ammonium octamolybdate or zinc stannate gave an improved effect with respect to smoke reduction upon combustion. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) of PVC containing these additives showed no indication of interactions to explain this effect. TGA analyses indicated that PVC samples made with the mixed plasticizer had final decompositon temperatures which were slightly higher than those made with DOP as the plasticizer.     

Hydrothermic aging of plasticized poly(vinyl chloride): Its effect on the dielectric,thermal, and mechanical properties

Accelerated hydrolytic aging (according to the NFT 5166 method) was performed on samples of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) plasticized with dioctylphthalate (DOP) and dinonyladipate (DNA) at different concentration ratios. The aging test consisted of immersing the samples in boiling water at 100°C. The samples were removed from water regularly, that is, every 2 h, for mechanical, thermal, and dielectric characterizations. Thermograms of PVC plasticized with DOP revealed no migration of the plasticizer independent of the concentration used. Moreover, the thermal stability of the samples was not affected by the hydrothermal aging. However, for PVC samples plasticized with DNA, a small amount of the plasticizer migrated from the polymer matrix with a considerable effect on the thermal stability. In fact, the data indicated a decrease in the decomposition temperature from 275 to 225°C, particularly for samples containing 50% (w/w) DNA immersed up to 10 h. The mechanical results showed that for a plasticizer content greater than 30% (w/w), the strain at break obtained for samples plasticized with DNA was lower than that for samples plasticized with DOP because the DNA molecules were more likely to be removed by water on account of their polarity and dimension. Finally, the dielectric measurements showed that the permittivity of all the PVC samples plasticized with DOP and immersed in boiling water was higher than that of the virgin samples. On the contrary, the permittivity of the aged unplasticized PVC was less than that of the nonimmersed samples. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 89: 3447–3457, 2003     

Synthesis of a bio-based plasticizer from vanillic acid and its effects on poly(vinyl chloride)

A new bio-based plasticizer, VA8-8, was prepared derived from vanillic acid, and its structure was verified by nuclear magnetic resonance. It was incorporated into poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) to replace dioctyl phthalate (DOP), and its plasticizing performance was evaluated. The results indicated that VA8-8 shows good compatible with PVC resin, and has a excellent plasticizing effect for PVC. When DOP was partially or completely substituted with VA8-8, the T_g value PVC blends dropped from 34.6 to 24.3°C and the elongation at break increased from 196.4% to 301.9%, suggesting the enhanced plasticizing efficiency of plasticizer. The plasticizing mechanism was also simulated, and the interactions between VA8-8 and PVC molecules were discussed. The thermogravimetric analysis showed VA8-8 can more effectively improve the thermal stability of PVC than DOP. In addition, the migration resistance of VA8-8 was generally superior to that of DOP. Therefore, VA8-8 is a comparable to or better plasticizer than DOP, and it is a promising alternative plasticizer for PVC.     

A new approach to the study of plasticizer migration from PVC into methanol

A new approach to the study of the migration rate was attempted for dioctylphthalate as plasticizer from solid PVC into liquid methanol. Two different experiments were carried out: first, a classical one by measuring the increase in the plasticizer concentration in solution; second, a new one by measuring the plasticizer concentration inside the solid PVC itself, for different times and for different depths in that solid. Equations of diffusion in unsteady state were found to correlate well with experiments in both cases. Stirring of the solution measured by Reynold's number was found to be important. Measurements were carried out inside the solid PVC, and the profile of the concentration of dioctylphthalate inside the PVC disc was determined at different times. The diffusion coefficient was calculated inside the PVC disc, and it was found to vary with the DOP concentration.     

Concentration and temperature dependence of plasticizer diffusion into plasticized PVC

The diffusion of a plasticizer S₁ from a source made of PVC containing 25 wt% of S₁ into a medium made of PVC film containing another plasticizer S₂ in 15, 20, 25 and 30 wt%, was studied at temperatures ranging from 70 to 108°C. S₁ was generally diphenyl-iso-octyl phosphate (DPIP) and S₂ was dioctyl phthalate (DOP) but the reciprocal system was also studied in some cases. Starting from a reference point corresponding to a temperature of 70°C and a DOP concentration of 25 wt%, it was found experimentally that an increase Δv of the DOP volume fraction (v) or an increase ΔT of the temperature, led to the same variation of the diffusion coefficient of DPIP if ΔT/Δv ～ 139K. A reasonably close value can be obtained from a simple free-volume approach, using the literature data on the plasticizer action of DOP on PVC.     

Effect of ketal group in castor oil acid-based plasticizer on the properties of poly(vinyl chloride)

Two castor oil acid esters containing a ketal or ketone group (KCL or CL), as alternative plasticizers for poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC), were prepared. The structures were confirmed by ¹H NMR and FTIR spectroscopies. The effects of the presence of a ketal or ketone group in these compounds on PVC plasticization were examined. The DMA and SEM results showed that both plasticizers were miscible with PVC and exhibited excellent plasticizing properties, compared to those of dioctyl phthalate (DOP). The PVC plasticized by KCL displayed a lower T_g value of 20.6 ° C, which was lower than that of PVC plasticized with DOP (22.3 ° C) and PVC plasticized with CL (40.5 ° C). Tensile tests indicated that PVC plasticized using KCL showed a 37% higher of elongation at break than PVC plasticized by CL and 30% higher than PVC plasticized by DOP. The plasticizing mechanism was also investigated. Moreover, exudation, volatility, and extraction tests, along with TGA indicated that the presence of ketal groups effectively improved the migration resistance of plasticizer and the thermal stability of PVC blends. Taken together, introducing ketal groups into plasticizer might be an effective strategy for improving its plasticizing efficiency.     

Poly(vinyl chloride) plasticized with succinate esters: synthesis and characterization

Phthalates pose adverse health effects due to their propensity to leach and the most common, di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and di-n-octyl phthalate (DOP), are petroleum-based. Conversely, di-esters, succinates are biobased (produced from fermentation of biomass), biodegradable, and therefore potential sustainable replacements for phthalates. A series of succinates, di-octyl succinate (DOS), di-hexyl succinate (DHS), di-butyl succinate (DBS), and di-ethyl succinate (DES), were mixed with poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC). The interaction of the plasticizer ester carbonyl with PVC shows an average −5 cm⁻¹ shift of the carbonyl absorbance peak energy. The glass transition temperatures (T _g), were monitored by differential scanning calorimetry and dynamic mechanical analyses. The T _gs of DOS and DHS plasticized PVC were significantly lower than DOP plasticized PVC at a lower percent mass. On the other hand, PVC plasticized with either DBS or DES exhibited a similar trend in lowering the T _g as that of DOP plasticized PVC.     

Rosin‐derived poly(vinyl chloride) plasticizer: Synthesis,structure, and properties

In this work, rosin‐based plasticizer was synthesized by Diels–Alder (DA) and esterification. First, the maleopimaric acid (RT) was obtained by DA between the double bond of rosin and maleic anhydride. Then, the carboxyl group and anhydride group of RT was esterified with tetrahydro geraniol to obtain the rosin‐based polyacid esters (RTT) under the catalysis of p‐toluene sulfonic acid. The structure of RT and RTT was detected by FTIR and ¹H‐NMR. RTT was used as main plasticizer to obtain plasticized polyvinyl chloride (PVC) materials and compared with DOP. The results showed that RTT improved the thermal stability and reduced T_g of PVC film. Plasticized PVC films had excellent mechanical properties with the elastic modulus of ?4,793.67 MPa and tensile strength of ?111.86 MPa, higher than that of pure PVC and DOP‐6. RTT showed better volatility stability, migration, and solvent extraction in PVC compared to DOP. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 26:180–186, 2020. © 2019 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Fusion behavior of plastisols of PVC studied by ATR-FTIR

The behavior of PVC plastisols during gelation and fusion was studied by the ATR-FTIR technique (Attenuated Total Reflectance-Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy). DBP, DOP, and DIDP, three common phthalate plasticizers for PVC, were used in plastisols formulations. Three heating rates—5, 10 and 15°C/min—and formulations with different plasticizer concentrations were studied. The IR spectra of a plastisol coincides with the IR spectra of the plasticizer except for the bands at 1435 and 613 cm^?1 from the PVC (CH₂ wagging and C—Cl stretching, respectively). When the plastisol is heated, a progressive decrease of the plasticizer bands areas can be observed, while bands from PVC increase their intensity, probably because of the adsorption of the plasticizer by the resin. On cooling, the area of all bands follows the same path as when heating, but the paths separate at a certain temperature, showing the irreversible nature of this process. The analysis of the band at 1280 cm^?1 (C(O)—O from plasticizer) during heating and cooling, shows that the temperature of separation areas (T_s) takes place at temperatures coherent with plasticizer compatibility. Studies at different heating rates and different plasticizer content are in good agreement with results using other techniques, available in the literature.     

Synthesis of a secondary plasticizer for poly(vinyl chloride) by recycling of poly(ethylene terephthalate) bottle waste through aminolytic depolymerization

This study focuses on the synthesis and application of didecanoate of bis(3‐hydroxypropyl) terephthalamide (DD‐BHPTA) as a secondary plasticizer in poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) compounding. DD‐BHPTA was synthesized from poly(ethylene terephthalate) bottle waste through aminolysis followed by condensation reaction with decanoic acid. Synthesized DD‐BHPTA was characterized by Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and nuclear magnetic resonance. Plasticized PVC was prepared by compounding PVC in different ratios with DD‐BHPTA and dioctyl phthalate (DOP) using a two‐roll mill. This newly synthesized plasticizer completely fused with PVC. The mechanical, thermal, and rheological properties like glass transition temperature, tensile strength, % elongation, dynamic mechanical analysis, solvent resistance, accelerated ultraviolet weathering test for color stability, differential scanning calorimetry, and thermal gravimetric analysis of plasticized PVC were investigated. DD‐BHPTA along with DOP plasticizer demonstrated plasticization efficiency similar to that of DOP alone, with the same plasticizer loading. DD‐BHPTA was found to be the more efficient plasticizer when used in combination with DOP. Thus, DD‐BHPTA can be used as a secondary plasticizer for DOP and can substitute DOP up to 50% of plasticizer loading. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 23:152–160, 2017. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Sustainable synthesis of bio‐based hyperbranched ester and its application for preparing soft polyvinyl chloride materials

In this study, bio‐based hyperbranched ester was synthesized from castor oil. The chemical structure of the bio‐based hyperbranched ester obtained was characterized with Fourier transform infrared and ¹H NMR spectra. Soft polyvinyl chloride (PVC) materials were prepared via thermoplastic blending at 160 °C using bio‐based hyperbranched ester as plasticizer. The performances including the thermal stability, glass transition temperature (T_g), crystallinity, tensile properties, solvent extraction resistance and volatility resistance of soft PVC materials incorporating bio‐based hyperbranched ester were investigated and compared with the traditional plasticizer dioctyl phthalate (DOP). The results showed that bio‐based hyperbranched ester enhanced the thermal stability of the PVC materials. The T_g of PVC incorporating bio‐based hyperbranched ester was 23 °C, lower than that of PVC/DOP materials at 28 °C. Bio‐based hyperbranched ester showed a better plasticizing effect, solvent extraction resistance and volatility resistance than DOP. The plasticizing mechanism is also discussed. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry     

Solutions to reduce release behavior of plasticizers out of PVC-made equipments: binary blends of plasticizers and thermal treatment

In order to reduce migration of plasticizers out of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), several techniques were attempted. First, binary blends of plasticizers were added to PVC, migration was decreased 100 or 1,000 times as compared to PVC samples containing only one plasticizer: the diffusion coefficient was of the order of 10⁻⁸ cm² s⁻¹ for the blend di-2-ethylhexylphthalate (DEHP)/di-2-ethylhexylterephthalate (TDHP) or 10⁻⁹ cm² s⁻¹ for the blend DEHP/DBP. A thermal treatment of PVC samples containing only one plasticizer leads to diffusion coefficients of the order of 10⁻¹⁰ cm² s⁻¹. This second method was also applied to PVC samples plasticized with binary blends. It lowers even more migration of both plasticizers out of PVC. But no particular phenomena were observed with ternary blends of plasticizers introduced in PVC.     

Synthesis and characterization of novel pentaerythritol ester as PVC plasticizer

A novel bio‐based PVC plasticizer, levulinic acid pentaerythritol ketal ester (LAPKE), was synthesized and evaluated as renewable resource alternatives to traditional phthalate. The structure of LAPKE was characterized by FT‐IR, ¹H NMR, and ¹³C NMR. The LAPKE and dioctyl phthalate (DOP) at different mass ratio were added to the PVC to prepare PVC samples. The mechanical properties of PVC samples at mass ratio of 1:1 showed that its tensile strength, elongation at break was up to an optimum value. The thermal stability was measured by dynamic thermal stability and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and the results showed that the thermal ability of PVC was improved with the addition of LAPKE. The weight loss of migration property (volatility, leaching test and exudation) has also increased by increasing mass ratio of LAPKE. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 44227.     

Polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane as a novel plasticizer for poly(vinyl chloride)

This study focuses on investigating the use of polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS) to plasticize poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC). Conventional organic plasticizers for PVC, such as dioctyl phthalate (DOP), are somewhat volatile, leading to plasticizer loss and unwanted deterioration of the material properties over time. Previous experimental results indicate that methacryl-POSS, which is much less volatile due to its hybrid organic-inorganic structure, has the ability to plasticize PVC. Methacryl-POSS is miscible in the PVC only up to 15 wt%, thereby limiting its suitability as a plasticizer. However, through the use of ternary compositions it is possible to increase the proportion of methacryl-POSS in PVC substantially. The T_g of appropriately formulated ternary PVC/POSS/DOP compounds can be reduced to near room temperature, and these materials exhibit desirable ductile behavior. Binary (PVC/DOP) and ternary (PVC/POSS/DOP) compounds formulated to the same T_g values showed considerably different mechanical properties. Such findings reveal the possibility of using POSS to engineer the mechanical properties of plasticized PVC.     

The strong interaction between poly(vinyl chloride) and a new eco-friendly plasticizer: A combined experiment and calculation study

Hydrogenation has been proved to be an efficient way to remove the toxicity of phthalate plasticizer. However, other influences of this hydrogenation are still unknown. Here we chose di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DOP) and di(2-ethylhexyl) cyclohexane-1,2-dicarboxylate (DEHHP) to study the influence on interaction with poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC). By combining experiment and calculation, we found the interaction was stronger in PVC/DEHHP than in PVC/DOP. Low-Field ¹H NMR results showed that PVC chains could restrict much more DEHHP molecules than DOP. FTIR results showed that the interaction exists in form of hydrogen bonding complex, and it was stronger in PVC/DEHHP than in PVC/DOP system. Combined with FTIR results, theoretical calculation results revealed the three-center hydrogen bonded structure of the complex. Both the proportion and the binding energy of pre-complex in DEHHP are much larger than in DOP. Here, the hydrogenation-induced change of interaction was elucidated systematically and could be generalized to other phthalate plasticizers.     

Dynamic rheological behavior and microcrystalline structure of dioctyl phthalate plasticized poly(vinyl chloride)

The dynamic rheological behavior of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC)/dioctyl phthalate (DOP) systems were studied as a function of DOP content and melting temperature. The dynamic rheological behavior of the PVC/DOP systems was found to be remarkably affected by the DOP content. The observed curves of storage modulus (G′) versus frequency were well fitted to an empirical equation (G′ = G′₀ + Kωⁿ, where G′₀ is the low‐frequency yield value of the storage modulus, the exponent n is a dependent index of frequency, K is a constant coefficient, and ω is the angular frequency). The loss tangent and/or phase angle increased remarkably at a higher DOP content. There was an apparent critical DOP content transition where the dynamic rheological behavior of the PVC/DOP systems changed greatly. Scanning electron microscopy observations revealed the existence of a multiscale particle structure in the PVC/DOP systems. For the PVC/DOP (100/70) system, with increasing melting temperature, its dynamic rheological behavior showed an apparent mutation at about 190°C. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis confirmed that the high elastic networks in the PVC/DOP systems were closely related to the microcrystalline structure of PVC. The transitions in the curves of the gelation degree and crystallinity versus the DOP content corresponded well to the DOP content transition in the dynamic rheological behavior. DOP could inhibit the secondary crystallite of PVC and almost had no effect on the primary crystallite of PVC. The coexistence of the microcrystalline structure of PVC and the plasticizer (DOP) resulted in high elastic networks in the PVC/DOP systems. The DSC results explained the DOP content transition and the temperature transition in the dynamic rheological behavior of the PVC/DOP systems well. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

An efficient plasticizer based on waste cooking oil: Structure and application

Recently, phthalates have been continuously banned in numerous fields by many countries. Therefore, the development of sustainable and efficient plasticizers has become particularly urgent. The waste cooking oil was used as the main raw materials in this study to synthesize an efficient plasticizer (acetylated-fatty acid methyl ester-trimellitic acid ester, AC-FAME-TAE). The structure of AC-FAME-TAE was characterized by FT-IR and ¹H NMR. The performance of the poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) plasticized by AC-FAME-TAE was tested and compared with those of the PVC plasticized with di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DOP) and EFAME (epoxy fatty acid methyl ester), respectively. DSC results indicated that AC-FAME-TAE had excellent plasticizing efficiency for PVC. The mechanical properties of PVC plasticized by AC-FAME-TAE were as comparable as PVC plasticized by DOP from the results of tensile test. In addition, the PVC plasticized by AC-FAME-TAE had excellent thermal stability and solvent resistance by the results of leaching test and TGA.     

Benzyl ester of dehydrated castor oil fatty acid as plasticizer for poly(vinyl chloride)

The poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) industry plays an important role in today's total plastics industry. The major volume of PVC is used as soft and plasticized PVC. PVC applications consume approximately 80% of the total production of plasticizers. Most of the common plasticizers are aromatic esters of phthalic acid. In the majority of countries, phthalate plasticizers are banned due to their carcinogenic properties. The concern raised about toxicity led to a large demand for bio‐based non‐toxic plasticizers. Hence, there is an increasing interest in replacing the phthalate plasticizers with those produced from simple bio‐based materials. Dehydrated castor oil fatty acid (DCOFA) is a renewable resource which can be esterified and used as an environment friendly plasticizer for PVC. Benzyl ester (BE) was prepared by reacting DCOFA with benzyl alcohol in the presence of catalyst at 170–180 °C. Esterification was further confirmed by acid value, hydroxyl number, ¹H NMR and Fourier transform IR spectroscopy. The modified plasticizer was used in various proportions as a co‐plasticizer in PVC for partial replacement of dioctyl phthalate (DOP). With an increase in the proportion of BE in PVC samples, a good plasticizing performance was observed. The incorporation of BE also resulted in a reduction in viscosity and viscosity pick‐up and improved mechanical, exudation, thermal degradation and chemical resistance properties. The presence of BE showed a reduction in the whiteness index due to presence of conjugated double bonds in the structure. The results of DSC, XRD and Shore hardness studies showed no significant variation in properties compared with those of DOP‐plasticized sheets and thus we can conclude that BE can be used as a co‐plasticizer in PVC. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry