The degradation of poly(vinyl acetate) as a material for design objects: A multi-analytical study of the effect of dibutyl phthalate plasticizer. Part 1

The influence of dibutyl phthalate (DBP) plasticizer on poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc) degradation was investigated. A multi-analytical approach (combining FTIR and Fluorescence spectroscopy, NMR and DSC analyses) was used to study how thermal- and photo-oxidative ageing treatments act on the polymer and assess the role of the additive in the degradation pattern. Standard and plasticized PVAc films were artificially aged at 60 °C in a thermal regime and irradiated at wavelengths above 290 nm in a photo-oxidative ageing regime, with exposure between 100 and 2000 h. The two types of ageing differ mainly in the formation of CC double bonds along the polymer backbone, enhanced by thermal ageing, and the formation of aldehydic structures, following photo-oxidative treatment and in the degree to which plasticizer is lost. The integration of results from different analytical methods highlights the utility in combining complementary analyses for the study of PVAc degradation.