A new biobased plasticizer for poly(vinyl chloride) based on epoxidized cottonseed oil

Abstract

The use of epoxidized cottonseed oil as plasticizer for poly(vinyl chloride) was studied. The plasticizer content was set to 70 phr and the optimum isothermal curing conditions were studied in the temperature range comprised between 160 and 220 °C with varying curing times in the 7.5-17.5 min range. The influence of the curing conditions on overall performance of cured plastisols was followed by the evolution of mechanical properties (tensile tests with measurements of tensile strength, elongation at break, and modulus), change in color, surface changes of fractured samples by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermal transitions by differential scanning calorimetry, and migration in n-hexane. The optimum mechanical features of cured plastisols are obtained for curing temperatures in the 190-220 °C range. For these curing conditions, fractography analysis by SEM gives evidences of full curing process as no PVC particles and free plasticizer can be found.