J.C. García-Quesada

Peroxide crosslinking of unplasticized poly(vinyl chloride)

A crosslinking system consisting of 1,1-di-t-butylperoxy-3,3,5-trimethyl cyclohexane peroxide and trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate (TMPTMA) has been used to introduce crosslinks into unplasticized poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC). The influence of the concentration of both reagents has been investigated, and crosslinking monitored by determination of the remaining sample weight after Soxhlet extraction with tetrahydrofuran. The system used (i.e., 0.5–2.0 phr peroxide with 5 to 15 phr TMPTMA) has been shown to be effective for crosslinking PVC. Gel contents of 30–40% have been obtained, premature crosslinking during processing is largely avoided, but thermal stability still needs to be improved. Considerable improvements in elevated temperature mechanical properties can be attained using an appropriate TMPTMA/peroxide concentration. The best tensile properties were obtained with 0.5 phr peroxide and 15 phr TMPTMA. Observed increases in Tg, also achievable with only 0.5 phr peroxide, but only slightly dependent on TMPTMA concentration, represent a useful increase in service temperature for the resulting compound. Lower peroxide levels may be adequate to achieve property improvements.

Study of the behavior of biodegradable starch/polyvinyl alcohol/rosin blends

Biodegradable potato starch/PVA samples containing different concentrations of rosin were prepared by melt-mixing in order to study the enhancement of the properties of native starch films. Glycerol and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) are commonly used as plasticizers of starch. Their relatively low molecular weight (compared with starch) contributes to a good processability. Rosin is a renewable product whose incorporation in the starch/PVA matrix induces processing aid and reinforcing effects. Its relatively high molecular weight might prevent its migration to the surface of the final product. Water content, solubility in water, mechanical properties, microstructure and dynamic mechanical analysis of the samples were studied. The addition of 8% rosin to starch/PVA blends led to tensile strength values higher than 10 MPa and elongation at break values close to 2000%, values comparable to those offered by conventional polymers used in food packaging, for example LDPE. Furthermore, starch compounds have low cost and high biodegradability.