Synthesis and Application of Environmental Castor Oil Based Polyol Ester Plasticizers for Poly(vinyl chloride)

The use of vegetable oil based plasticizers can create new application for plasticized poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) materials. In this study, novel environmental castor oil based polyol esters (COPE-1, ECOPE-1, COPE-2 and ECOPE-2) were synthesized and characterized with FT-IR and 1H NMR. PVC materials were prepared via blending the synthesized castor oil based polyol esters as the main plasticizer. Properties of the PVC materials were investigated and compared to those of commercial plasticizers (DOP and ESO). The results showed that castor oil based polyol esters could significantly improve thermal stability of PVC blends. Plasticizing effect of COPE-2 and ECOPE-2 on PVC was better than that of DOP, ESO, COPE-1 and ECOPE-1. Migration stability and volatility stability of tests showed that with the increasing of the molecular weight of castor oil based polyol esters, the migration stability and volatility stability are enhanced. They could be with potential application used in food packing, children toys and medical devices as the main plasticizer.