The influence of nano-additives in the synthesis of eco-friendly polyester plasticizers

Plasticized polymer materials are widely used in all spheres of human life. The most common plasticizers are aromatic compounds-esters of o-phthalic acid. However, their use was limited in accordance with the EU Directive REACH (2009) due to possible toxicity, which contributed to the development of new non-toxic alternatives, which include polyester plasticizers. Polyester plasticizers are classified as special purpose plasticizers. Due to the wide variety of starting materials and the ability to vary the size of the molecule, a wide range of plasticizers can be synthesized. These are mainly polyesters of polyatomic alcohols esterified with dibasic acids and modified with monocarboxylic acid or aliphatic alcohol. Polyesters-based plasticizers contribute to the production of PVC compositions with improved properties such as low volatility, resistance to extraction, excellent flexibility, wear resistance, UV resistance and heat resistance. Also, such plasticizers exhibit an excellent non-sweating property of plastics. This paper describes a method for preparing a polyester compound propylene glycol adipate modified with cyclohexanecarboxylic acid, proposed as a plasticizer of polyvinyl chloride. Conditions of its production with maximum output are given. Physical and chemical properties of the resulting compound were studied. The formulation of PVC-composition on the basis of the received polyester plasticizer is offered. The results of tests of PVC plastic according to state standard 5960-72 are presented. It is shown that the use of propylene adipate modified with cyclohexanecarboxylic acid provides a plasticizing efficiency as high as DOP, while having a reduced migration. This fact allows us to use the developed polyester plasticizer as a non-toxic alternative to industrial PVC plasticizers. It has been found that the use of calcium adipate nano quantities in the production of propylene glycol adipate increases the yield of the desired ester and improves the physical and mechanical properties of PVC plastic.