The photooxidative degradation of poly(vinylchloride)—2. The stabilising action of dibutyltin maleate and trisnitro (1,3-dihydroxyl-2-hydroxymethyl-2-nitropropane) on PVC from ultraviolet light radiation

Abstract

The photooxidative degradation and stabilisation of poly(vinylchloride) (PVC) have been studied using dibutyltin maleate (DBTM) alone and mixed with varying amounts of trisnitro (1,3-dihydroxyl-2-hydroxylmethyl-2-nitropropane) compounds as stabilisers. Films of the unstabilised and stabilised PVC were exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light ageing at room temperature. The degradation reactions were monitored by IR, colour formation, tensile strength and elongation at break, as well as determination of time to embrittlement. The stabilising action of 7.2 × 10 −3 mol% DBTM mixed with 10 × 10 −4 mol% of the lauryl ester of the trisnitro compounds proved most effective in limiting photooxidative reactions in PVC.