Bob A. Howell

Thermal degradation of esters/ethers derived from tartaric acid

Because of the increasing concern about the potential risks to human health presented by phthalate esters and, in particular, di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate the development of non-toxic, environmentally-friendly plasticizers is rather urgent. Biobased materials derived from an annually renewable source are particularly attractive in this regard. A series of esters/ethers generated from tartaric acid, an edible, renewable by-product of wine-making, has been synthesized and fully characterized using chromatographic, spectroscopic and thermal methods. The thermal degradation characteristics of these compounds have been established using thermogravimetry and infrared spectroscopy. These materials are stable to temperatures approaching 200xa0°C and degrade via elimination processes. They should function as effective plasticizers for a variety of polymeric materials including poly(vinyl chloride).