Synthesis and application of a novel environmental plasticizer based on cardanol for poly(vinyl chloride)

• A novel cardanol derivative plasticizer epoxidized cardanol phenyl phosphate ester plasticizer was synthesized.
• This novel plasticizer offers significantly higher thermal and migration stability than DOTP.
• ECPhP can endow PVC resin with well-balanced properties of flexibility, strength and hardness.
• It may have potential to partially replace and reduce the use of conventional phthalates in plastic industry.

A novel epoxidized cardanol phenyl phosphate ester plasticizer (ECPhP) based on cardanol was synthesized and characterized with 1H NMR and 13C NMR. Poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) films plasticized with ECPhP as plasticizer were prepared. Thermal properties, mechanical properties and migration stability of PVC films were investigated with TGA, TGA–MS, DMA, dynamic thermal stability analysis, and tensile, volatility, extraction and exudation tests. Properties of the PVC films were explored and compared to those of petroleum-based plasticizer dioctyl terephthalate (DOTP). The results indicated that the epoxidized cardanol based phosphate ester had significantly higher thermal stability than DOTP, which could also improve thermal properties of PVC blends obviously. Furthermore, ECPhP could endow PVC resin with well-balanced properties of flexibility, strength and hardness. With the substitution of ECPhP into DOTP, migration resistance of PVC blends was enhanced which was mainly due to the increase of molecular weight. In addition, the thermal degradation processes of PVC films and possible interaction between plasticizers and PVC molecular were also discussed.

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