Preparation and properties of transparent powder filled soft poly(vinyl chloride) composite film with high transparency

Abstract In this study, transparent powder (TP) with a refractive index similar to that of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) was used as inorganic filler to prepare PVC composite film with high transparency. TP was modified with γ‐methylacryloxypropyl trimethoxy silane (KH570) and characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, and Zeta potential analysis. Then, KH570 modified TP was incorporated into PVC, and its effects on the mechanical, transparent, and thermal properties of soft PVC composite film were investigated by tensile test, transmittance measurement and thermogravimetric analysis. The results show that the optimum loading of modified TP is 7.5 phr (mass), at which the breaking strength (18.5 MPa) and elongation at break (669.5%) of the composite film are 60.9% and 54.0% higher than that of pure PVC film, respectively. The highest light transmittance is 85.6% at a filler loading of 5 phr. Thus, TP filled PVC composite film has excellent mechanical transparent properties and high transparency.