The molecular interfacial structure and plasticizer migration behavior of “green” plasticized poly(vinyl chloride)

Abstract

Tributyl acetyl citrate (TBAC), a widely-used "green" plasticizer, has been extensively applied in products for daily use. In this paper, a variety of analytical tools including sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy (SFG), coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy (CARS), contact angle goniometry (CA), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were applied together to investigate the molecular structures of TBAC plasticized poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) and the migration behavior of TBAC from PVC-TBAC mixtures into water. We comprehensively examine the effects of oxygen and argon plasma treatments on the surface structures of PVC-TBAC thin films containing various bulk percentages of plasticizers and the leaching behavior of TBAC into water. It was found that TBAC is a relatively stable PVC plasticizer compared to traditional non-covalent plasticizers but is also surface active. Oxygen plasma treatment increased the hydrophilicity of TBAC-PVC surfaces, but did not enhance TBAC leaching. However, argon plasma treatment greatly enhanced the leaching of TBAC molecules from PVC plastics to water. Based on our observations, we believe that oxygen plasma treatment could be applied to TBAC plasticized PVC products to enhance surface hydrophilicity for improving the biocompatibility and antibacterial properties of PVC products. The structural information obtained in this study will ultimately facilitate a molecular level understanding of plasticized polymers, aiding in the design of PVC materials with improved properties.

Post Modification of Poly Glycidyl Azide with Ionic‐Liquid‐Based Reactive Plasticizer through Catalyst‐Free Click Reaction

“…Scheme depicts the occurrence of 1 and 3 azide‐alkyne cycloaddition reaction schematically. This reaction generally takes place in the presence of a catalyst,,,, but the click reaction of azide‐alkyne was done in this study without any catalyst.…”

How Green is Your Plasticizer?

“…Several techniques have been explored to avoid leaching, including internal plasticization [99,100,101], coating of polymer surfaces [102], and plasma surface treatment [103,104] to create a barrier through which plasticizer molecules cannot penetrate. Most of these techniques require further processing of the plasticized material, thereby making the product more expensive, more complicated to produce, and sometimes resulting in a decrease in plasticizer effectiveness [105].…”

Bio-based additives as renewable alternatives for polyvinylchloride formulations and application in paper coatings

“…Chemically inert, and resistant to water and environmental corrosion, PVC is the 3rd most commonly used plastic produced world-wide. [9][10][11][12] Although, emissions associated with PVC production has been signicantly reduced over recent years, 13 the multitude of PVC products 14,15 with a large variety of nal properties [16][17][18][19] requires a wide range of suitable chemical additives. Plasticisers and dispersants are a type of such additives, which are commonly used to improve properties of the material.…”

“…Furthermore, the green properties of the citrate derivatives are also essential, both in production and recycling to maintain the sustainability of the manufacturing process. Based on its availability and non-toxic nature, citric acid and its derivatives have been widely studied and used in the elds of resins, 3 coatings and plasticisers, 9,14 and cosmetics to name a few. However, citric acid is not suitable in all applications and therefore, modication of the compound is required.…”