Investigations on poly(vinyl chloride). III. Effects of metal oxides upon thermal decomposition of poly(vinyl chloride)

Thermal decomposition mechanisms of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) and the effects of a few metal oxides on the pyrolysis of PVC were previously reported. In the present work, 33 metal oxides were investigated to determine their effects on the thermal decomposition of PVC, by using a pyrolysis gas chromatograph. Most acidic oxides accelerate the recombination of chlorine atoms with double bonds, since PVC containing these metal oxides easily release lower aliphatics, toluene, ethylbenzene, o-xylene, and chlorobenzenes. On the other hand, most basic metal oxides, such as oxides of alkaline earths or silver, inhibit the recombination. These tendencies observed in the thermal decomposition of PVC agree with the contributions of corresponding metal salts to the dehydrochlorination of PVC proposed by other workers. This means that thermal decomposition or dehydrochlorination of PVC is affected by irregularities in head-to-tail linkages formed by the recombination of chlorine atoms during heat treatment of PVC.     

Investigations on poly(vinyl chloride). II. Pyrolysis of chlorinated polybutadienes as model compounds for poly(vinyl chloride)

The pyrolysis of chlorinated polybutadienes (CPB) was investigated by using a pyrolysis gas chromatograph. CPB corresponds to poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) constructed with head–head and tail–tail linkages of the vinyl chloride unit. Benzene, toluene, ethyl-benzene, o-xylene, styrene, vinyltoluene, chlorobenzenes, naphthalene, and methylnaphthalenes were detected in the pyrolysis products from CPB above 300°C, and no hydrocarbons could be detected at 200°C. The pyrolysis products from CPB were similar to those from PVC and new products could not be detected. Lower aliphatics, toluene, ethylbenzene, o-xylene, chlorobenzenes, and methylnaphthalenes were released more easily from pyrolysis of CPB than from PVC; amounts of benzene, styrene, and naphthalene formed were small. These results support the conclusion that recombination of chlorine atoms with the double bonds in the polyene chain takes place and that scission of the main chain may depend on the location of methylene groups isolated along the polyene chain during the thermal decomposition of PVC.     

Photo-oxidation of poly(vinyl chloride)

The photo-oxidation of PVC has been studied over the temperature range 30–150°C. Initiation with ultraviolet (2537A) radiation has been correlated with the presence of minute amounts of ozone. The contribution of atomic oxygen and singlet oxygen (¹Δ_g) molecules to the initiation mechanism is discussed. The β-chloroketones probably formed in the photo-oxidation of PVC, decomposed according to a Norrish type I reaction without loss of chlorine atoms. The gaseous products of the photo-oxidation of PVC at 30°C were carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrogen, and methane. Hydrogen chloride was obtained only when PVC was heated at high temperatures. When PVC was photo-oxidized and then heated at high temperature, benzene was obtained in addition to hydrogen chloride. The gaseous products from the photo-oxidations of model compounds, such as 4-chloro-2-butanone and 2,4-dichloropentane, were also compared with those from PVC. Hydrogen chloride was detected only after photo-oxidation at temperatures of 25°C or higher. Therefore, it was concluded that hydrogen chloride is mainly a product of thermal decomposition. Since unsaturation was not observed in photo-oxidized PVC films, the cause of discoloration is unclear. When PVC was modified by stabilizers or additives, the oxidative degradation was further complicated by side reactions with the additives.     

Studies of the effects of copper, copper(II) oxide and copper(II) chloride on the thermal degradation of poly(vinyl chloride)

Investigations of the pyrolysis of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) in the presence of copper metal (Cu), copper(II) oxide (CuO) and copper(II) chloride (CuCl₂) are of potential importance because of the likelihood of the formation of these copper compounds during the thermal degradation of PVC-coated copper wires, a step in the recovery of copper from waste. The presence of Cu, CuO and CuCl₂ (i) retards the thermal degradation of PVC in air and in nitrogen and (ii) decreases the percentages of volatile products produced at both stages of the decomposition. These effects are greatest for PVC-CuO. The presence of copper, CuO or CuCl₂ in PVC has a major effect on the nature of the gaseous emissions of the thermal decomposition in air and in nitrogen. The concentrations of total chlorine, aliphatic hydrocarbons, aromatic hydrocarbons, chlorinated hydrocarbons and soot particulates are all affected relative to an equivalent amount of PVC. These changes are greatest for the PVC-CuO system for which total chlorine emissions in air and nitrogen are reduced by 40% in air and 20% in nitrogen, benzene emissions are reduced by greater than 90% in air and nitrogen, other aromatic and chloroaromatic emissions are reduced, and soot particulate emissions are reduced by more than 50% as the concentrations of aliphatic compounds are increased. These changes are consistent with the presence of copper or its compounds permitting more efficient combustion of the carbon content of the PVC and particularly in the case of PVC-CuO with the removal of chlorine during pyrolysis in the inorganic phase.     

Thermal decomposition of poly(vinyl chloride) and chlorinated poly(vinyl chloride). I. ESR and TGA studies

Significant effort has been made in the past by many workers to investigate the mechanism of thermal decomposition of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC). The presence and role of free radicals has been controversial in this regard. Our data on PVC and chlorinated PVC systems demonstrate the existence of macroradicals in the early stage of thermal decomposition under inert and oxidative atmospheres. Data from conventional thermogravimetric experiments are used in conjunction with the electron spin resonance findings.     

Structure defects and thermal stability of poly(vinyl chloride)

The presence of polyene and peroxide structures in PVC and their contribution to the rate of thermal decomposition were determined using a large number of commercial suspension PVC samples. Two types of PVC having conjugated -C=C-bonds with different reactivity towards dienophiles were found. Polymer samples of the first type react with chlorine, organic phosphites and maleic anhydride under mild conditions whereas the second type PVC under the same conditions reacts only with chlorine. The obtained data show that polyene structures in these two types of PVC are of cis and trans configuration, respectively. It was also demonstrated that the contribution of diene and peroxy groups to the rate of PVC thermal decomposition is greater than the contribution of any other anomalous structures.     

Proton conducting membranes based on poly(vinyl chloride) graft copolymer electrolytes

The direct preparation of proton conducting poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) graft copolymer electrolyte membranes using atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) is demonstrated. Here, direct initiation of the secondary chlorines of PVC facilitates grafting of a sulfonated monomer. A series of proton conducting graft copolymer electrolyte membranes, i.e. poly(vinyl chloride)‐g‐poly(styrene sulfonic acid) (PVC‐g‐PSSA) were prepared by ATRP using direct initiation of the secondary chlorines of PVC. The successful syntheses of graft copolymers were confirmed by ¹H‐NMR and FT‐IR spectroscopy. The images of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) presented the well‐defined microphase‐separated structure of the graft copolymer electrolyte membranes. All the properties of ion exchange capacity (IEC), water uptake, and proton conductivity for the membranes continuously increased with increasing PSSA contents. The characterization of the membranes by thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) also demonstrated their high thermal stability up to 200°C. The membranes were further crosslinked using UV irradiation after converting chlorine atoms to azide groups, as revealed by FT‐IR spectroscopy. After crosslinking, water uptake significantly decreased from 207% to 84% and the tensile strength increased from 45.2 to 71.5 MPa with a marginal change of proton conductivity from 0.093 to 0.083 S cm^?1, which indicates that the crosslinked PVC‐g‐PSSA membranes are promising candidates for proton conducting materials for fuel cell applications. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Antioxidative stabilization of poly(vinyl chloride)

Halogenated resins such as poly(vinyl)chloride undergo rapid degradation when exposed to heat. Such degradation is significantly increased by oxygen, and it is believed that the induction of the process of decomposition is caused by autoxidation of the polymer, followed by extensive dehydrohalogenation. Sulfur-containing peroxide decomposers allow primary stabilization of PVC with organic compounds which are not HCl acceptors but prevent free radical cross-linking of the polymer. This implies a discolored polymer melt (due to loss of HCl and formation of polyenes) which nonetheless exhibits good long term stability (no cross-linking). The stabilization of labile chlorine atoms results from the oxidation of various chain irregularities, and thus the elimination of the early discoloration can be achieved by the use of small quantities of monohydrocarbyltin co-stabilizers. The relative performance of various antioxidant systems are reported and possible stabilization mechanisms are discussed.     

Mechanism of the thermal stabilization of poly(vinyl chloride) with metal carboxylates and epoxy plasticizers

The chemical reactions responsible for the retardation of thermal discoloration in poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) stabilized with a combination of an epoxy plasticizer and a heavy metal soap mixture of Group IIa and IIb metals have been studied. Allylic chlorides (a mixture of 4-chlorohexene-2 and 2-chlorohexene-3) are used as prototypes for the degrading segment of the polymer chain. The results confirm earlier reports that, when a mixture of a covalent and ionic metal soap is used as the stabilizer, the covalent moiety (e.g., Cd and Zn soaps) functions to esterify the allylic site of the degrading PVC model. A synergistic effect displayed by the ionic soap (e.g., Ca or Ba) is caused by a transfer of carboxylate ligands from the ionic soap to the depleting covalent species, which has been largely converted to the corresponding chloride. When an epoxy plasticizer model (cyclohexene oxide) is used in conjunction with the metal soap stabilizer, the preferred reaction is esterification. After a considerable build-up of ester, an α-chloroether, 2-hexenyl 4-(2-chlorocyclohexyl) ether, is formed by the reaction of cyclohexene oxide with the PVC model. This reaction was found to be catalyzed by cadmium chloride. The esterification and etherification reactions provide an explanation for the synergism observed in the stabilization of PVC containing a combination of an epoxy plasticizer with a covalent and an ionic metal soap.     

Investigations on poly(vinyl chloride). I. Evolution of aromatics on pyrolysis of poly(vinyl chloride) and its mechanism

Poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) alone or mixed with 10 wt-% and 50 wt-% TiO₂, SnO₂, ZnO, and Al₂O₃ were pyrolyzed by using a pyrolysis gas chromatograph. Benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, o-xylene, styrene, naphthalene, and various chlorobenzenes were identified. No hydrocarbons could be detected in pyrolysis products of any samples at 200°C. More aromatic hydrocarbons than aliphatic hydrocarbons are released from the PVC–TiO₂ system and in preheated PVC. The contrary result is observed in the PVC–ZnO and PVC–SnO₂ systems. Aromatics having methyl endgroups are easily released from the PVC–ZnO and PVC–SnO₂ systems and at elevated pyrolysis temperature, because methylene groups are easily isolated along the chain by ZnO, SnO₂ and the heating. The release of ethylbenzene o-xylene, and chlorobenzenes suggests a repeated dehydrochlorination and recombination of HCl and Cl₂ to double bonds along the chain. Possible decomposition mechanisms of PVC are discussed.     

Thermal decomposition of poly(vinyl chloride) and chlorinated poly(vinyl chloride). II. Organic analysis

A concerted study of poly(vinyl chloride), chlorinated poly(vinyl chloride), and poly(vinylidene chloride) polymers by spectroscopy, thermal analysis, and pyrolysis-gas chromatography resulted in a proposed mechanism for their thermal degradation. Polymer structure with respect to total chlorine content and position was determined, and the influence of these polymer units on certain of the decomposition parameters is presented. Distinguishing differences were obtained for the kinetics of decomposition, reactive macroradical intermediates, and pyrolysis product distributions for these systems. It was determined that chlorinated poly(vinyl chloride) systems with long-chain ? CHCI? units were more thermally stable than the unchlorinated precursor, exhibited increasing activation energy for the dehydrochlorination, and produced chlorine-containing macroradical intermediates and chlorinated aromatic pyrolysis products. The poly(vinyl chloride) polymer was relatively less thermally stable, exhibited decreasing activation energy during dehydrochlorination, and produced polyenyl macro-radical intermediates and aromatic pyrolysis products.     

Vanillin–Schiff’s bases as organic thermal stabilizers and co-stabilizers for rigid poly(vinyl chloride)

Vanillin–Schiff’s bases (VSB) were examined as thermal stabilizers and co-stabilizers for rigid poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) in air at 180 °C. Their high stabilizing efficiency were shown by their high thermal stability value (Ts), which is the time elapsed for the detection of HCl gas, if compared with dibasic lead carbonate and cadmium–zinc soap reference stabilizers used industrially, with better extent of discoloration. Blending these derivatives with reference stabilizers in different ratios greatly lengthens the thermal stability and the extent of discoloration of the PVC.Condensation products of Vanillin with amines are very active biologically, besides having good complexation ability with metal ions. The Ni²⁺ and Co²⁺ complexes of VSB derivatives gave better thermal stability and less discoloration than the parent organic stabilizer. Also, blending these complexes with either of the used reference stabilizers in different ratios gave better thermal stability and lower extent of discoloration. Thermogravimetric analysis confirmed the improved stability of PVC in the presence of the VSB derivatives, compared to blank PVC, PVC stabilized with reference stabilizers and PVC stabilized with binary mixture of VSB derivatives with reference stabilizer.The stabilizing efficiency of Vanillin–Schiff’s base (VSB) derivatives is attributed to the replacement of the labile chlorine atoms on the PVC chains by a relatively more stable moiety of the organic stabilizer.     

Homopolymerization and copolymerization of vinyl chloride over supported metalorganic catalysts

The homopolymerization of vinyl chloride and its copolymerization with ethylene over dibutyl ether–modified SiO₂-supported Ziegler–Natta catalysts based on titanium and vanadium chlorides have been studied. The supported metal complexes are sufficiently active in the polymerization of vinyl chloride. Their activity depends on the catalyst composition and conditions of formation of the catalyst on the surface of the support. The chain structure of the resulting polyvinyl chloride (PVC) has been studied by NMR spectroscopy. The thermal properties of the synthesized PVC have been investigated by differential scanning calorimetry. The PVC obtained possesses enhanced thermal stability owing to the specific features of its chain structure. Vinyl chloride polymerization over the supported metalorganic catalyst proceeds mainly via a free-radical mechanism. Process conditions have been found for conducting the copolymerization of vinyl chloride with ethylene over supported metal complexes resulting in the formation of true statistical copolymers, which is confirmed by IR and NMR spectroscopy.     

Efficiency and mechanism for the stabilizing action of thiouracil derivatives as novel thermal stabilizers for poly(vinyl chloride) and the synergistic effect with calcium stearate

Novel thiouracil thermal stabilizers for rigid poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC), 6-methyl-2-thiouraci (6M2TU), 5-methyl-2-thiouraci (5M2TU), and 6-propyl-2-thiouraci (6P2TU) were synthesized successfully via a precipitation method, and characterized with 1H NMR spectra. Investigation of these thiouracil derivatives as thermal stabilizers for poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) was measured by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), congo red test, fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and discoloration test. The results show that the thiouracil derivatives have strong ability to replace the labile chlorine atoms in PVC chains, but weak ability to absorb hydrogen chloride. Moreover, PVC stabilized with these thiouracil derivatives and calcium stearate (CaSt₂) exhibit greater stabilizing efficiency compared with traditional Ca/Zn stabilizers with the same concentration.     

Effect of metal oxides on the evolution of aromatic hydrocarbons in the thermal decomposition of PVC

The thermal decomposition of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) mixed with several metal oxides was investigated by direct pyrolysis in a mass spectrometer (MS) and flash pyrolysis–gas chromatography. Our results show that the thermal decomposition of PVC occurs in two stages. Unsubstituted aromatic hydrocarbons (benzene, naphthalene, and anthracene) are evolved mainly in the first stage, alkyl-aromatics (e.g., toluene) in the second. Although the addition of some metal oxides results in an overall suppression of aromatic hydrocarbons, the unsubstituted aromatics are much more suppressed with respect to alkyl-aromatics. Furthermore, the formation of ZnCl₂ and SnCl₄ was revealed by the mass spectra of PVC–metal oxide pyrolysates. This suggests that, at least in these two cases, metal chlorides are responsible for aromatic hydrocarbon suppression. With this information a detailed reaction mechanism could be formulated for the thermal degradation of PVC.     

Effect of montmorillonite treatment on the thermal stability of poly(vinyl chloride) nanocomposites

The aim of this research was to study the effect of different intercalants on the thermal degradation/dehydrochlorination of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC). PVC nanocomposites were prepared containing 2 phr of montmorillonite clay. The montmorillonite was treated with different organic intercalants and analysed by thermogravimetric analysis and X-ray diffraction. All intercalants were found to intercalate the clay. The nanocomposites were prepared on a two-roll mill and pressed into 0.7 mm thick plates. The degradation was analysed by yellowness index, Congo red test and UV–visible spectroscopy. All cationic intercalants were found to accelerate the dehydrochlorination of PVC whereas the non-ionic did not affect thermal degradation. On the other hand, some non-ionic intercalants showed poor dispersion.     

Thermal degradation studies in poly(vinyl chloride)/poly(methyl methacrylate) blends

The miscibility, morphology, and thermal properties of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) blends with different concentrations of poly(methyl methacylate) (PMMA) have been studied. The interaction between the phases was studied by FTIR and by measuring the glass transition temperature (T_g) of the blends using differential scanning calorimetry. Distribution of the phases at different compositions was studied through scanning electron microscopy. The FTIR and SEM results show little interaction and gross phase separation. The thermogravimetric studies on these blends were carried out under inert atmosphere from ambient to 800 °C at different heating rates varying from 2.5 to 20 °C/min. The thermal decomposition temperatures of the first and second stage of degradation in PVC in the presence of PMMA were higher than the pure. The stabilization effect on PVC was found most significant with 10 wt% PMMA content in the PVC matrix. These results agree with the isothermal degradation studies using dehydrochlorination and UV-vis spectroscopic results carried out on these blends. Using multiple heating rate kinetics the activation energies of the degradation process in PVC and its blends have been reported.     

Diffusion of small molecules through modified poly(vinyl chloride) membranes

The transport properties of a set of four copolymers based on poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) have been studied. The nucleophilic substitution of chlorine atoms with 4‐mercaptophenol sodium salt, 2‐thionaphthalene, 4‐(1‐adamantyl) thiophenol, and thiophenolate sodium salt as the nucleophiles has been performed, from low conversion levels (3%) to high levels (40%), and the permeability, solubility, and diffusivity of oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and methane have been measured. The introduction of bulky groups to the PVC chain leads to chain separation and results in large increases in the free volume at conversions up to 10%. This brings about a 5‐fold increase in the diffusion coefficients that is almost independent of the bulkiness of the substituent. Solubility is little affected and instead tends to decrease as substitution progresses. The substitution of more than 10% of the chlorine atoms does not result in an improvement in the transport properties. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 40: 964–971, 2002     

The effect of Zn, Al layered double hydroxide on thermal decomposition of poly(vinyl chloride)

Poly(vinyl chloride)/layered double hydroxide (LDH) composite was prepared by mixing 4 wt% Zn₂Al-CO₃-LDH with PVC and fluxing at 180 °C. The thermal decomposition behaviour of the LDH + PVC composite in air and nitrogen environments was systematically investigated. We found that mixing Zn₂Al-CO₃-LDH into PVC facilitates dehydrochlorination from ca. 300 to 270 °C but reduces the reaction extent to leave more chlorine on the polyene backbones both in air and N₂. We have also found that at 400-550 °C, both in air and N₂, LDH assists the formation of char-like materials and decreases the release of volatile hydrocarbons. From 550 to 800 °C, the char-like materials are mostly retained in N₂ while they are almost completely thermo-oxidized (burned) in air. Thus, addition of Zn₂Al-CO₃-LDH to PVC does not increase the thermal stability, but does promote charring to retard the generation of flame. The influence of LDH on PVC thermal properties has been also addressed mechanically.     

An analysis of the reaction–diffusion mechanism governing the chlorination process of poly(vinyl chloride)

Chlorinated poly(vinyl chloride) (CPVC) obtained through a dry chlorination of PVC films or grains can show a heterogeneous repartition of its chlorine atoms because the reaction process is limited by the mass transfer of the chlorine gas in the material. In order to describe the evolution of such a system, a set of coupled equations is derived where only two dimensionless constants have to be determined: K_S, which depends on the solubility of the chlorine gas in the PVC, and K_T, the ratio between the diffusion and the reaction characteristic times. The kinetics of chlorination obtained for the different regimes matches the available experimental data, and the corresponding concentration profiles for the chlorinated PVC chains are displayed to demonstrate how a heterogeneous chlorination can arise from this dual process. In particular, a sharp interface appears in the diffusion‐limited regime that separates the chlorinated region from an unchlorinated core and is shown to progress deeper into the film with the square root of time. To a larger extent, this analysis shows how heterogeneity of reaction and nonlinear effects can arise from a coupling between a diffusive phenomenon and a reactive phenomenon. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 38: 3201–3209, 2000