Energy and material cost savings with polyester/monomeric plasticized PVC compounds

Many plasticized PVC articles are exposed to harsh environments that cause loss of plasticizer through extraction, volatility, or migration. In order to survive in these applications, the PVC must contain plasticizers that have a reasonable degree of permanence. Two approaches are the use of low molecular weight polyester plasticizers, or higher molecular weight polyester/monomeric plasticizer blends. The blend approach can give better cost-performance and, due to faster fusion, reduced energy/manufacturing costs. The blends maintain their advantages even upon further dilution with monomeric plasticizers and in permanence tests of long duration. Although better than monomeric plasticizers, neither the low molecular weight polyester nor the blend system is recommended for applications requiring the ultimate in migration resistance.