A strategy to prepare internally plasticized PVC using a castor oil based derivative

Internally plasticized PVC was prepared via chemical reaction of azide PVC and alkynyl group containing castor oil methyl ester. The chemical structure of alkynyl group containing castor oil methyl ester and internally plasticized PVC was characterized with FT-IR and 1H NMR. Properties of internally plasticized PVC, including thermal stability, tensile tests and resistance to extraction in different solvents, was investigated. The results showed that alkynyl group containing castor oil methyl ester, as internal plasticizer of PVC, not only decreased the Tg of PVC from 84.6oC to 41.6oC efficiently, but also presented no plasticizer loss in five different solvents. The tensile tests showed that elongation at break and tensile strength of internally plasticized PVC was 353.8% and 18.1MPa. The internally plasticized PVC has potential application in replacing the traditional PVC material in PVC products with high durability.