Highly Flexible PVC Materials without Plasticizer Migration As Obtained by Efficient One-Pot Procedure Using Trichlorotriazine Chemistry

Health Risks Posed by Dermal and Inhalation Exposure to High Concentrations of Chlorinated Paraffins Found in Soft Poly(vinyl chloride) Curtains

Chlorinated paraffins (CPs) are used in many products, including soft poly(vinyl chloride) curtains, which are used in many indoor environments. Health hazards posed by CPs in curtains are poorly understood. Here, chamber tests and an indoor fugacity model were used to predict CP emissions from soft poly(vinyl chloride) curtains, and dermal uptake through direct contact was assessed using surface wipes. Short-chain and medium-chain CPs accounted for 30% by weight of the curtains. Evaporation drives CP migration, like for other semivolatile organic plasticizers, at room temperature. The CP emission rate to air was 7.09 ng/(cm² h), and the estimated short-chain and medium-chain CP concentrations were 583 and 95.3 ng/m³ in indoor air 21.2 and 172 μg/g in dust, respectively. Curtains could be important indoor sources of CPs to dust and air. The calculated total daily CP intakes from air and dust were 165 ng/(kg day) for an adult and 514 ng/(kg day) for a toddler, and an assessment of dermal intake through direct contact indicated that touching just once could increase intake by 274 μg. The results indicated that curtains, which are common in houses, could pose considerable health risks through inhalation of and dermal contact with CPs.

Self-Plasticized PVC Prepared by Introducing Fatty Acid to the PVC with Triglycidyl Isocyanurate as an Intermediate Bridge

The phthalate-free self-plasticization of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) conforms to the concept of green chemistry. In this work, phthalate-free, biocontaining, self-plasticized PVC with nonmigration (4-an-TG-X-PVC; X = R, P, or O) was prepared by covalent attachment of ricinoleic acid, palmitic acid, and oleic acid, respectively, to the PVC matrix with 4-aminothiophenol and triglycidyl isocyanurate (TGIC) as intermediate bridges. 4-Aminothiophenol and TGIC acted as the nucleophilic reagent and the thermally stable substance, respectively. The 4-an-TG-X-PVC was observed by diverse characterization methods. Specifically, Fourier transform infrared spectra, ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance, gel permeation chromatography, and migration stability tests proved the successful synthesis of 4-an-TG-X-PVC. Compared to the neat PVC, the mechanical property of 4-an-TG-X-PVC is better. The glass transition temperature (T _g) of PVC is 81.24 °C, while that of 4-an-TG-X-PVC decreased to 41.88, 31.49, and 46.91 °C. The 4-an-TG-X-PVC showed higher elongation at break and lower tensile strength than neat PVC. Simultaneously, the thermal property of 4-an-TG-X-PVC got a boost. Thermogravimetry-infrared and thermogravimetry-mass spectrometry showed that 4-an-TG-X-PVC released less HCl than neat PVC in a thermal environment. Discoloration experiments demonstrated that 4-an-TG-P-PVC had better heat stabilization and better color than 4-an-TG-O-PVC and 4-an-TG-R-PVC. This work provides a viable solution to the dependence on phthalates, reduced human health and ecological risks, and endowed PVC with improved thermal stability and nonmigration performance.

Nitroxide mediated radical polymerization for the preparation of poly(vinyl chloride) grafted poly(acrylate) copolymers

In view to control the thermal properties of PVC without the use of toxic phthalate derivatives, alkoxyamines were grafted onto an azide modified PVC, through copper catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC),...

Construction of enhanced self-plasticized PVC via grafting with a bio-derived Mannich base

Self-plasticized PVC materials (PVC-ML-g) were successfully prepared via grafting with a lauraldehyde-derived Mannich base and presented improved thermal stability and outstanding anti-migration ability.

Interactions of amphiphiles with plasticisers used in polymers: Understanding the basis of health and environmental challenges

Plasticisers are widely used to provide desirable mechanical properties of many polymeric materials. These small molecule additives are also known to leach from the finished products, and this not only may modify the physical properties but the distribution of these materials in the environment and in the human body can cause long-term health concerns and environmental challenges. Many of these plasticisers are esters of polyvalent acids and phthalic acid has previously been predominant but various alternatives are now being more widely explored. The eventual distribution of these compounds depends not just on solubility in aqueous media and on vapour pressure but also on their interaction with other materials, particularly lipids and amphiphiles. This review provides an overview of both the basic physical data (solubility, partition coefficients, surface tension, vapour pressure) that is available in the literature and summarises what has been learnt about the molecular interactions of various plasticisers with surfactants and lipids.

A Strategy for Nonmigrating Plasticized PVC Modified with Mannich base of Waste Cooking Oil Methyl Ester

The waste cooking oil (WCO) production from the catering industry and food processing industry causes serious environmental, economic and social problems. However, WCO can be used for the preparation of fine chemicals such as internal plasticizer. With this aim, this work is focused on preparing internal plasticizer by using WCO and determining technical viability of non-migration poly (vinyl chloride) (PVC) materials. The mannich base of waste cooking oil methyl ester (WCOME) was synthesized from WCO via esterification, interesterification and mannich reaction, which was used to produce self-plasticization PVC materials as an internal plasticizer. The results showed that the PVC was plasticized effectively. Self-plasticization PVC films showed no migration in n-hexane, but 15.7% of dioctyl phthalate (DOP) leached from DOP/PVC(50/50) system into n-hexane. These findings transformed the traditional plastic processing technology and obtained cleaner production of no migration plasticizer from WCO.

Cardanol Groups Grafted on Poly(vinyl chloride)-Synthesis, Performance and Plasticization Mechanism

Internally plasticized poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) materials are investigated via grafting of propargyl ether cardanol (PEC). The chemical structure of the materials was studied by FT-IR and ¹H NMR. The performace of the obtained internally plasticized PVC materials was also investigated with TGA, DSC and leaching tests. The results showed that grafting of propargyl ether cardanol (PEC) on PVC increased the free volume and distance of PVC chains, which efficiently decreased the glass transition temperature (Tg). No migration was found in the leaching tests for internally plasticized PVC films compared with plasticized PVC materials with commercial plasticizer dioctyl phthalate (DOP). The internal plasticization mechanism was also disscussed according to lubrication theory and free volume theory. This work provides a meaningful strategy for designing no-migration PVC materials by introducing cardanol groups as branched chains.

Self-Plasticization of PVC via click reaction of a monooctyl phthalate derivative

Modified PVC (M-PVC) material with suppressed migration and low glass transition temperature was prepared via click reaction of a monooctyl phthalate derivative. Chemical structure and composition of M-PVC were characterized by FT-IR, 1H NMR and element analysis. Thermal stability, glass transition temperature and migration stability of M-PVC were studied with TGA, DSC and migration tests, respectively. The study showed that M-PVC exhibited poor thermal stability, and low glass transition temperature of 66.0°C. No migration was found in distilled water, 10% (v/v) ethanol, 30% (w/v)acetic acid and petroleum ether. The PVC material is expected to preparing PVC products in the areas with high migration resistance requirement.

Thiol-functionalized nanogels as reactive plasticizers for crosslinked polymer networks

Significant efforts have been expended to mitigate plasticizer migration from crosslinked methacrylic and poly(vinyl chloride) polymer networks by synthesizing reactive plasticizers that can blend homogenously within the networks to reduce polymer property change, acute toxicity and downstream environmental effects of plasticizer migration with limited and varying amount of success. We hypothesized that appropriate thiol-functionalized nanogels synthesized using the same monomers as the parent network to generate highly compact, crosslinked structures will form thermally stable, homogenous networks and perform as optimal reactive plasticizers. Nanogels were synthesized via a thiol-Michael addition solution polymerization and incorporated at different mass ratios within a polyethylene glycol 400 urethane dimethacrylic monomer to form photo-crosslinked networks. While maintaining the inherent hydrolytic stability, thermal stability and biocompatibility of the parent matrix at ~99% acrylic group conversion, the PEG400 urethane dimethacrylic -nanogel networks retained optical clarity with >90% visible light transmission at 20wt% nanogel concentration within the matrix. The addition of the nanogels also enhanced the elongation of the parent matrix by up to 320%, while a 37°C reduction in glass transition temperature (∆T_g) and ≥50% reduction in modulus was observed. A 52% reduction in the shrinkage stress of the material was also noted. The results indicate that the application of thiol-functionalized nanogels as plasticizers to alter the bulk properties of the parent matrix while mitigating plasticizer migration by covalently crosslinking the nanogels within the polymer matrix provides a simple yet efficient technique to generate network-specific plasticizers with the ability to alter targeted properties within polymers.

Nonmigrating Equivalent Substitutes for PVC/DOP Formulations as Shown by a TG Study of PVC with Covalently Bound PEO-PPO Oligomers

Monoamino functionalized ethylenoxide (EO)/propylenoxide oligomers (Jeffamine) are linked chemically to poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) using trichlorotriazine chemistry in order to prepare nonmigrating internally plasticized materials. The dependence of the plasticizer efficiency on both the number of anchoring points to the chains and the PVC/plasticizer compatibility is investigated using oligomers of different molecular weight and hydrophilic-hydrophobic balance. Hydrophilic oligomers (containing predominantly EO) of molecular weights between 2000 and 5000 g mol^-1 exhibit excellent plasticizer efficiency, nearly identical to di-2-ethylhexylphthalate (DOP) in conventional PVC/DOP mixtures and may therefore be used as nonmigrating equivalents for DOP.

Internally plasticized PVC materials via covalent attachment of aminated tung oil methyl ester

We developed an internal plasticizer of aminated tung oil methyl ester for the production of non-migration, phthalate-free flexible and internally plasticized poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) materials.

Opening New Gates for the Modification of PVC or Other PVC Derivatives: Synthetic Strategies for the Covalent Binding of Molecules to PVC

Several synthetic strategies based on the use of substituted aromatic and hetero-aromatic thiols for the covalent binding of modifier compounds to PVC are described. A variety of aliphatic alcohols and amines are linked to the aromatic or heteroaromatic rings via highly active functionalities as the isocyanate, acidchloride, or chlorosulfonyl group, and the three chlorine atoms of trichlorotriazine. The first three pathways lead to protected aromatic disulfides obtaining the substituted aromatic thiols by reduction as a final step of an unprecedented synthetic route. The second approach, in a novel, extremely efficient, and scalable process, uses the particular selectivity of trichlorotriazine to connect aliphatic amines, alcohols, and thiols to the ring and creates the thiol via nucleophilic substitution of a heteroaromatic halogen by thiourea and subsequent hydrolysis. Most of the modifier compounds were linked to the polymer chains with high degrees of anchorage. The presented approaches are highly versatile as different activations of aromatic and heteroaromatic rings are used. Therefore, many types of tailored functional nucleophiles may be anchored to PVC providing non-migrating materials with a broad range of applications and properties.