Polyvinyl Chloride / Attapulgite / Micro-crystalline Cellulose (MCC) Composites Preparation and Analysis of the Role of MCC as a Compatibilizer

Abstract

To improve the performance of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), composites incorporating polyvinyl chloride (PVC), attapulgite nanoparticles (ANPs), and microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) were successfully prepared. The composites had higher vicat softening temperatures (VSTs) and the MCC had a great influence on mechanical properties of the composites. When MCC was added from 0 to 5 per hundred parts of PVC (phr), the mechanical properties of the composites increased, but the mechanical properties of the composites decreased when the MCC was more than 5 phr. The tensile breaking stress, tensile strength, and impact strength were maximized with increases of 19.76 N (4.1%), 29.66 MPa (15.5%), and 13.8 MPa (7%) when 5 phr MCC was added. Infrared spectral analysis indicated that MCC and ANPs were present in the composites. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the composites system was distributed into two phases, which indicated that MCC in composites was dissolved in the PVC matrix, and some of MCC coated the surface of ANPs as a compatibilizer. Overall, this study provided a promising method for PVC modification to improve its performance.

Preparation and properties of new plywood composites made from surface modified veneers and polyvinyl chloride films

“…Polyvinyl chloride is a thermoplastic resin generated by the homopolymerization of vinyl chloride or by the copolymerization of other monomers (Wang et al 2015a). Currently, polyvinyl chloride has among the highest market shares of polymeric materials, and its price is usually lower than that of the polyethylene or the polypropylene previously used in wood-plastic plywoods (Xie et al 2014).…”

“…Currently, polyvinyl chloride has among the highest market shares of polymeric materials, and its price is usually lower than that of the polyethylene or the polypropylene previously used in wood-plastic plywoods (Xie et al 2014). Generally speaking, polyvinyl chloride can be processed into all sorts of plastic materials through mixing, plasticization, and molding (Wang et al 2015a). By using different types and proportions of processing aids, various hard, semi-hard, soft, transparent, and non-transparent polyvinyl chloride materials can be produced (Wang et al 2015a).…”

“…Generally speaking, polyvinyl chloride can be processed into all sorts of plastic materials through mixing, plasticization, and molding (Wang et al 2015a). By using different types and proportions of processing aids, various hard, semi-hard, soft, transparent, and non-transparent polyvinyl chloride materials can be produced (Wang et al 2015a). Typically, polyvinyl chloride products can include copolymers or alloys, synthetic fibers, engineering plastics, coatings, elastomers, foams, sealants, and different types of special functional materials (Wang et al 2015a).…”

“…By using different types and proportions of processing aids, various hard, semi-hard, soft, transparent, and non-transparent polyvinyl chloride materials can be produced (Wang et al 2015a). Typically, polyvinyl chloride products can include copolymers or alloys, synthetic fibers, engineering plastics, coatings, elastomers, foams, sealants, and different types of special functional materials (Wang et al 2015a). Reportedly, polyvinyl chloride materials have good fire resistance and high strength; thus they have been extensively used in industrial applications such as packaging materials, toys, and construction materials (Xie et al 2014;Wang et al 2015a).…”

“…Typically, polyvinyl chloride products can include copolymers or alloys, synthetic fibers, engineering plastics, coatings, elastomers, foams, sealants, and different types of special functional materials (Wang et al 2015a). Reportedly, polyvinyl chloride materials have good fire resistance and high strength; thus they have been extensively used in industrial applications such as packaging materials, toys, and construction materials (Xie et al 2014;Wang et al 2015a). In the plastics industry, natural fiber-reinforced polyvinyl chloride composites have been found to possess high stiffness, strong chemical resistance, and good flame retardation due to the chlorine atoms in polyvinyl chloride molecules; therefore, they are recognized as being suitable for building and construction applications (Chaochanchaikul et al 2011;Xu et al 2016).…”