Modification of epoxy resins by the addition of PVC plastisols

An epoxy resin based on bisphenol A has been modified by the addition of different amounts of a plastisol, based on poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) and diethylhexyl phthalate (DOP). The fluid state of those materials makes their blending easier. After a curing process, some different materials, with properties ranging from the rigidity of a thermosetting resin to the flexibility of a plastisol, can be obtained. The variation of different parameters, such as tensile strength, Young's modulus, dielectric constant, and others, with the concentration of plastisol, has been studied. Some materials with properties similar to common thermoplastics (PP, ABS, or SB) can be processed, depending on the epoxy-to-plastisol ratio. The obtained results enable us the use of those materials in prototyping and other industrial processes. The obtained prototypes should have a similar mechanical behavior to thermoplastics. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 67:1769–1777, 1998