Evaluation performance of multiple plasticizer systems on the physicomechanical, crystallinity and thermogravimetry of polyvinyl chloride

Abstract

Abstract The flexibility of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) materials is crucial in the production of urine bags and urinary tubing. However, the combination and concentration of plasticizers offers a variation of the plasticizing efficiency to the PVC matrix. In this study, several types of plasticizers, namely dioctyl adipate (DOA), diisononyl phthalate (DINP), dioctyl terephthalate (DOTP) and epoxidized soybean oil (ESO) were added into the PVC matrix to enhance the flexibility of PVC compounds. Increasing the plasticizer loading level improved elongation at break of PVC compounds, whereas the tensile strength, hardness and specific gravity deteriorated. In addition, DOA added to PVC compounds exhibited the highest plasticizing effect with the highest elongation at break results at lower percentages of plasticizer (≤50%). This is due to the linear chain of the DOA plasticizer promoting the slippage effect of polymer chains during stretching and thus imparting a higher flexibility. In addition, a higher loading level of plasticizer in PVC compounds also produced a marginal increment on the crystallinity and thermal stability of PVC compounds. Overall, DINP/DOA added to PVC compounds exhibited the highest flexibility effect (elongation at break) at higher percentages, but lowered tensile strength and crystallinity.