Poly(vinyl chloride) plasticized with succinate esters: synthesis and characterization

Phthalates pose adverse health effects due to their propensity to leach and the most common, di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and di-n-octyl phthalate (DOP), are petroleum-based. Conversely, di-esters, succinates are biobased (produced from fermentation of biomass), biodegradable, and therefore potential sustainable replacements for phthalates. A series of succinates, di-octyl succinate (DOS), di-hexyl succinate (DHS), di-butyl succinate (DBS), and di-ethyl succinate (DES), were mixed with poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC). The interaction of the plasticizer ester carbonyl with PVC shows an average −5 cm⁻¹ shift of the carbonyl absorbance peak energy. The glass transition temperatures (T _g), were monitored by differential scanning calorimetry and dynamic mechanical analyses. The T _gs of DOS and DHS plasticized PVC were significantly lower than DOP plasticized PVC at a lower percent mass. On the other hand, PVC plasticized with either DBS or DES exhibited a similar trend in lowering the T _g as that of DOP plasticized PVC.