Phthalates can be replaced by other harmless and environmentally friendly plasticizers, such as isosorbide diesters (ISB), and epoxidized sunflower oil (ESO), which has been proved an efficient stabilizer for poly (vinyl chloride) (PVC) in helping to prevent degradation during processing. Formulations based on PVC with different amounts of ISB, ESO, and di‐(2‐ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) from 0 to 60 parts by weight per hundred parts of resin were realized. To make PVC flexible with partial amounts of the debated phthalates as plasticizers, we use a combination of DEHP, ISB, and ESO. Effects of these two biobased plasticizers, ISB and ESO, and their mixture with DEHP on thermal stability by measuring discoloration degrees and thermal gravimetric analysis, on mechanical properties such tensile strength, elongation at break, and hardness, were characterized. Plasticizer permanence properties of PVC compounds were studied. Studies showed that processibility and flexibility were improved by the addition of a plasticizer system (ISB, ESO, and DEHP). An increase in the content of ISB and/or ESO increased thermal and mechanical properties, whereas compositions with ternary compositions of ISB/ESO/DEHP (15/15/30) exhibited the best performance properties. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 20:260–267, 2014. © 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers

ObstractThe use of mixtures of nontoxic and biodegradable plasticizers coming from natural resources is a good way to replace conventional phthalates plasticizers. In this study, two secondary plasticizers of epoxidized sunflower oil (ESO) and epoxidized sunflower oil methyl ester (ESOME) were synthesized and have been used with two commercially available biobased plasticizers; isosorbide diesters (ISB) and acetyl tributyl citrate (ATBC) in order to produce flexible PVC. Different mixtures of these plasticizers have been introduced in PVC formulations. Thermal, mechanical and morphological properties have been studied by using discoloration, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA), tensile -strain and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Studies have shown that PVC plasticization and stabilization were improved by addition of plasticizers blends containing ISB, ATBC, ESO and ESOME. An increase in the content of ESO or ESOME improved thermal and mechanical properties, whereas ESOME/ATBC formulations exhibited the best properties.

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