A possible mechanism to explain the synergistic effects exhibited by mixtures of alkyltin mercaptoesters as stabilisers for PVC

Abstract The phenomenon of synergism observed with mixtures of mono- and dialkyltin stabilisers for PVC has been recognised and exploited for many years, but remains largely unexplained. Whilst a similar effect in mixed metal (Ba/Cd or Ca/Zn) carboxylate stabilisers has been explained, mechanistic studies of the organotin systems have not appeared. Infra-red spectroscopy has now been used to study the Cl/mercaptoester exchange equilibria of alkyltin mercaptoester (isooctylthioglycollate) chlorine compounds which are undoubtedly produced when the organotin mercaptoesters act as PVC stabilisers. The exchange process is shown to be facile, even at ambient temperatures, and a regenerative mechanism, based on these observations, is proposed to explain the synergistic effect.