| Abstract: | Five to 15 percent of ethylene/vinyl acetate copolymers was compounded into rigid polyvinyl chloride, with the copolymers dispersed as discrete micro-domains, produced very efficient synergistic improvement of impact strength; as the vinyl acetate content of the copolymer increased from 28 to 60 percent, the synergistic peak moved to higher copolymer content and became higher and broader. Copolymer content correlated directly with melt flow and thermal stability, and inversely to modulus, strength, and heat-deflection temperature. The vinyl acetate content of the copolymer correlated directly with elongation, impact strength, and thermal stability, but inversely to modulus, heat-deflection temperature, low-temperature flexibility, and melt flow. When the copolymer content reached 25 percent, it formed a second continuous-phase, interpenetrating the polymer network structure and acting as a polymeric plasticizer, producing thermoplastic elastoplastics. |
