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.     

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.     

Waste poly(vinyl chloride) pyrolysis with hydrogen chloride abatement by steelmaking dust

Experimental study on PVC-based materials (PVC = poly(vinyl chloride)) pyrolysis; in the presence of various amounts of steelmaking dust was performed. Dust from steel manufacture employing zinc plated scrap contains a considerable amount of zinc oxide (ZnO) and its utilization in metallurgy is quite complicated. However, the dust can react with hydrogen chloride (HCl) released from heated PVC in the temperature range of 200–400°C. Material balance of the pyrolysis process was studied by thermogravimetry, and the data obtained were compared with the results of larger laboratory oven experiments. In excess of PVC, the amount of captured HCl stoichiometrically corresponds to the content of ZnO; additional HCl is probably captured by FeCl₂, while FeCl₃ is not formed at elevated temperatures. In excess of the dust, the captured amount of HCl is approximately 100%. The suggested co-pyrolysis seems to be a promising method to prevent the formation of dangerous chlorinated organic compounds during the thermal treatment of waste PVC. Furthermore, the obtained ZnCl₂ is a valuable material and the zinc depleted dust can be reused in metallurgy instead of its disposal.     

High-temperature pyrolysis of poly(vinyl chloride): Gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric analysis of the pyrolysis products from PVC resin and plastisols

A pyrolysis–gas chromatographic–mass spectrometric technique for analyzing the pyrolysis products from polymers in an inert atmosphere is described. Initial studies encompassing the pyrolysis of poly(vinyl chloride) homopolymer and a series of PVC plastisols (based on o-phthalate esters) have provided a complete qualitative and semi-quantitative analysis of the pyrolysis products from these materials. PVC resin yields a series of aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons when pyrolyzed at 600°C; the amount of aromatic products is greater than the amount of aliphatic products. Benzene is the major organic degradation product. A typical PVC plastisol [PVC/o-dioctyl phthalate (100/60)] yields, upon pyrolysis, products that are characteristic of both the PVC matrix and the phthalate plasticizer. The pyrolysis products from the plasticizer dilute those from the PVC portion of the plastisol and are, in turn, the major degradation products. There are no degradation products resulting from an interaction of the PVC with the plastisol. The pyrograms resulting from pyrolysis of the various plastisols of PVC can be used for purposes of “fingerprinting.” Identification of the major peaks in a typical plastisol pyrogram provides information leading to a precise identification of the plasticizer. The pyrolysis data from this study were related to a special case of flammability and toxicity.     

NMR spectrum of poly(vinyl chloride)

The 100-MHz proton NMR spectra of commercial and laboratory-prepared poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) have been measured in various solvents at high temperature (80–150°C). Tacticity in PVC was determined by the analysis of the β-proton spectrum. The spectrum was calculated assuming that the PVC chain consists of tetrad sequences of monomer units and that their distribution in the chain is described by a simple Bernoulli-sequence statistics with a P_m (the probability of isotactic placement) of 0.45 for commercial PVC polymerized at 50°C. Tacticity calibration curves based on measurements made for the polymer in pentachloroethane and β-dichlorobenzene were established, and they provide a simple method for the measurement of tacticity in PVC directly from the observed spectra. Excluding samples prepared in butyraldehyde solution, the formation of syndiotactic structures in PVC (prepared by free-radical polymerization) was found to be favored by lowering the polymerization temperature. This preference is due to an increase in the activation enthalpy of 510 cal/mole which is required for forming an isotactic placement in the chain during the propagation step.     

Hydrogenolysis of hydrocarbons over supported catalysts derived from metal carbonyl clusters

A comparison between the activities of silica-supported ruthenium, rhodium and platinum catalysts prepared from metal cluster compounds and their conventional analogues towards the activation of saturated hydrocarbons has been made. Ruthenium cluster-derived catalysts display greatly enhanced activity for the complete hydrogenolysis of straight chain aliphatic hydrocarbons to methane and provide a temperature advantage of 150°C relative to conventionally prepared ruthenium catalysts where only moderate hydrocarbon conversions are noted. The increased activity superficially correlates with the smaller metal crystallite sizes (15–20 Å) reproducibly obtainable using metal cluster compounds as catalyst precursors. The highly specific activity for the hydrogenolysis of C-C bonds in saturated hydrocarbons has been applied to the selective cleavage of the alkyl group in ethylbenzene, giving toluene and methane. Conversions of up to 30% ethylbenzene have been observed at 225°C and 1 atm using a Ru₃(CO)₁₂/SiO₂-based catalyst. The xylenes, particularly o-xylene, are much less susceptible to hydrogenolysis and, at 225°C, relative hydrocarbon destruction rates of 30 : 1 and 7 : 1 have been observed using mixed feeds of ethylbenzene/o-xylene and ethylbenzene/p-xylene, respectively. Such a catalyst system can, in principle, therefore provide a means of separating ethylbenzene from its mixtures with xylenes.     

Modification of poly(vinyl chloride). XIII. Crosslinking of poly(vinyl chloride) with dithiols and properties of the crosslinked products

PVC was crosslinked by immersing PVC–dithiol blends in ethylenediamine at 30°C. Properties of the products depended on the chain length and chemical structure of the crosslinkage and on the molecular weight of the polymer chain between crosslinks M_c. Crosslinking by the agent of soft structure and long molecular chain resulted in high tensile strength at break and impact strength and low brittle temperature. The use of the crosslinking agent of short molecular chain gave high yield strength, Young's modulus, and heat distortion temperature. The relation of M_c and the chemical structure of the crosslinks to the properties of the crosslinked rigid polymer was discussed in regard to the crosslinking effect and plasticizing effect.     

Titanium dioxide nanotube fiber using in headspace solid-phase microextraction with GC–MS for BTEX detection

Anodized TiO₂ nanotube fibers using in-headspace solid-phase microextraction (SPME) with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) have been exploited as an analytical method for volatile organic compounds such as benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX) detection. The factors of anodizing time and annealing temperature for TiO₂ nanotube production are studied and the adsorption factors (time, ionic strength, and temperature) and desorption factors (time and temperature) for BTEX analysis are optimized. The limit of detections (LODs) for benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene o-xylene, and m, p-xylene are 0.5, 0.1, 1.0, 1.0, and 2.0 μg L⁻¹, respectively. The linear ranges for BTEX (0.5–15,000 μg L⁻¹) and satisfactory linearity (R² ≥ 0.9954) are obtained. This method is successfully applied in real samples with the recoveries ranging from 92% to 97%. TiO₂ nanotube fiber is a promising technique for BTEX analysis.     

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.     

Pyrolysis–gas chromatographic analysis of poly(vinyl chloride). II. In situ absorption of HCl during pyrolysis and combustion of PVC

A pyrolysis–gas chromatographic technique for measuring the amount of hydrogen chloride released during the high temperature pyrolysis of poly(vinyl chloride) resins, plastisols, copolymers and compounds containing inert fillers has been developed. The technique, which is also applicable to the analysis of chlorinated polyethylene and chlorinated poly(vinyl chloride), is based on the use of a standard precursor of HCl, poly(vinyl chloride) homopolymer. The analysis has been successfully used to measure the degree of in situ absorption of HCl during pyrolysis by certain basic fillers [K₂CO₃, CaCO₃, CaO, MgO, Al(OH)₃, Na₂CO₃, Al₂O₃ and LiOH] dispersed in a poly(vinyl chloride)–o-dioctyl phthalate matrix. Combustion of a number of combustion residues (chloride determination) revealed that the amount of HCl absorbed by the basic filler was independent of the method of degradation (pyrolysis or combustion). Flammability measurements of those matrices having the same composition indicate that in situ absorption of HCl during combustion has little effect on the overall flammability of these materials.     

Mechanical and thermal properties of nanosized titanium dioxide filled rigid poly(vinyl chloride)

Nano-sized rod-like titanium dioxide (TiO2) filled rigid poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) nanocomposites were prepared by using injection-molding method. Vicat, Charpy impact and tensile tests as well as thermogravimetric and dynamic mechanical analyses were used to characterize the structure and properties of the nanocomposites. The results showed that nano-TiO2 could improve Vicat softening temperature and also improve thermal stability of PVC during the stages of dehydrochlorination and formation of carbonaceous conjugated polyene sequences, which can be ascribed to restriction of the nanoparticles on the segmental relaxation as being evidenced by raises in glass transition and β-relaxation temperatures of PVC upon filling TiO2. Addition of TiO2 nanoparticles less than 40 phr (parts per hundreds of resin) could significantly improve impact strength of the composites while the TiO2 agglomeration at high contents leads to a reduction in impact toughness.     

Modification of PVC. XXVI. Syntheses and photocrosslinking of polysulfide pendant poly(vinyl chloride)

Poly(vinyl chloride) pendant with polysulfide (PS–PVC) having various degrees of substitution, various S substituents, and various numbers of atoms in the sulfur chain has been synthesized by the reaction of poly(vinyl chloride) with a thiol, sulfur, and triethylamine in dimethylformamide at 30°C for 0.4–5 hr. The photocrosslinking reaction has been investigated under ultraviolet irradiation at 250–450 mμ. The photocrosslinking reaction of PS–PVC is influenced by the degree of substitution, the nature of the S substituent, and the number of atoms in the sulfur chain. The degree of photocrosslinking r increased in the order, n-C₄H₉? < n-C₈H₁₇? < C₆H₅CH₂? < i-C₃H₇? < t-C₄H₉? . On the photocrosslinking of PS–PVC having two different S substituents, r increases in the similar order for aliphatic substituents and in the order NO₂C₆H₄? < ClC₆H₄? < C₆H₅CH₂? < CH₃C₆H₄? < t-C₄H₉C₆H₄? < C₆H₅? for the aromatic substituents. Further, r increases markedly with the increase of sulfur chain number for all PS–PVC. The chemical structure of the crosslinks and the crosslinking mechanism are discussed on the basis of the results.     

Mathematical models of the initial stage of the thermal degradation of poly(vinyl chloride). II. The thermal degradation of poly(vinyl chloride) with effective removal of HCl

The dehydrochlorination of different samples of PVC under vacuum with continuous removal of HCl by freezing, has been studied at 180–210°C. The comparison of the kinetic curves of the dehydrochlorination of various samples of PVC which were obtained by us and other investigators, with the theoretical curves for the thermal degradation of idealized PVC in the absence of HCl has been carried out. This had made it possible to evaluate the influence of unstable fragments present in the original polymer on the initial rate of PVC degradation quantitatively. It has been shown that the distinction between the stationary rates of the dehydrochlorination of various samples of PVC is determined by the difference of the values of the average length of dehydrochlorination chain, l_av. The most probable interval of the values of l_av has been ascertained to be 4–12. It is established that the most probable value of the constant of the rate of dehydrochlorination of normal links of PVC, k₀, is 2.1 × 10^?7?2.5 × 10^?7 s^?1 at 200°C. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Kinetic study of the poly(vinyl chloride)/titanium dioxide nanocomposites photodegradation under accelerated ultraviolet and visible light exposure

In the present study, poly(vinyl chloride)/titanium dioxide (PVC/TiO₂) nanocomposite films containing different amounts of synthesized TiO₂ nanoparticles and commercial rutile powder were irradiated for 5112 hr, under exposure of artificial ultraviolet and visible lights in three different intensities. The rate of degradation was determined by using weight loss data and was found to follow a pseudo‐first order kinetic model. To determine the overall rate constant of degradation, k, a possible mechanism of the photodegradation was considered. The rate equation demonstrated k as a function of TiO₂ concentration and irradiation intensity at each wavelength. The overall rate constant of PVC/TiO₂ samples were calculated to be varied in the range of 6–16 × 10^?7 hr^?1, at all investigated conditions. The kinetic study represented that by adding synthesized TiO₂ nanoparticles, even at low content, and with increasing their concentration, the photodegradation rate of nanocomposites decreased considerably compared with the composite samples. Likewise, by adding nanoparticles, a significant increase in the nanocomposites lifetime was achieved. The effect of irradiation intensity was investigated according to the reciprocity law experiments, and it was found that photodegradation occurred in two regimes with respect to irradiation intensity. The calculated overall rate constants were validated by the experimental data. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis of a [60]fullerene‐functionalized poly(vinyl chloride) derivative by stereospecific chemical modification of PVC

The covalent attachment of [60]fullerene (C₆₀) to two poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) samples with different isotactic content is achieved by direct reaction in o‐dichlorobenzene (o‐DCB) solution in the presence of AIBN. The extent of fullerenation is controlled by varying the C₆₀ feed ratio. The pendant C₆₀‐chemically modified PVC polymers are soluble in tetrahydrofuran (THF) and have been characterized by UV–vis, NMR, FTIR, DSC, TGA, cyclic voltammetry, and SEM. The quantitative microstructural analysis after covalent attachment of the bulky C₆₀ moiety to the PVC has been followed by ¹³C NMR spectroscopy. From the results it can be concluded that the modification of PVC by graft reaction through free radical reaction proceeds by a stereoselective mechanism. This conclusion has been confirmed on the basis of the increase of the glass‐transition temperature (T_g) and the thermal stability of the C₆₀‐chemical modified PVC samples. The fullerenated PVCs obtained show good electron acceptor properties, as evidenced by electrochemical investigations. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 5408–5419, 2007     

Investigations on poly(vinyl chloride). IV. Effects of metal chlorides on the thermal decomposition of poly(vinyl chloride)

The effects of various metal oxides upon the thermal decomposition of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) were previously reported. In this work, 23 metal chlorides were investigated to determine their effects on the thermal decomposition of PVC by pyrolysis–gas chromatography at 500°C. Each metal chloride exhibits influences on the course of thermal decomposition of PVC almost similar to the corresponding metal oxide except for a few elements; the metal chlorides from acidic metal oxides accelerate the thermal decomposition of PVC, but the metal chlorides from basic metal oxides do not. On comparing the effects of metal oxides and metal chlorides on the thermal decomposition of PVC, most metal chlorides were found to accelerate the thermal decomposition of PVC more than the corresponding metal oxides, owing to ease of addition of the chlorine atoms released from metal chloride to the dehydrochlorinated chains. It is concluded from these results that the thermal decomposition of PVC containing metal salts is markedly influenced by the ease with which chlorine atoms are released from the corresponding metal chloride.     

Electrical conductivity of poly(vinyl chloride) obtained by photodehydrochlorination from laminated poly(vinyl chloride)/polypyrrole films

Poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) has been converted to an electrically conductive structure by combined electrochemical and photochemical methods. PVC was cast on a polypyrrole (PPy) film electrode which had been electrochemically prepared. The PVC layer in the laminated PVC/PPy films was first dehydrochlorinated under the illumination of UV light, and the generated polyenes were subsequently doped with I₂ and FeCl₃. The maximum electrical conductivity achieved for such PVC film was 2.51 X 10^?2 and 8.63 10^?2 S cm^?1 after I₂ and FeCl₃ doping, respectively. The temperature dependence of the electrical conductivity showed different behavior in higher and lower temperature ranges. In the former (T > 243 K), the T^?1 law held, and the activation energy and bandgap were estimated as 0.25 and 0.49 eV, respectively. In the latter (T < 243 K), the conductivity mechanism followed the variable range hopping model (T^?1/4 law) in which the radius of the localized state wave function and the density of the localized states at the Fermi level were 1.25 × 10³ Å and 1.03 X 10¹⁵ eV^?1 cm^?3, respectively. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Structure of chlorinated poly(vinyl chloride). V. Molecular parameters of chlorinated poly(vinyl chloride)

The molecular parameters of samples of chlorinated poly(vinyl chloride) (CPVC) and chlorinated β,β-dideuterated poly(vinyl chloride) (β,β-d₂-CPVC) were determined by gel permeation chromatography (GPC), light scattering, osmometry, and viscometry. Comparison of GPC, light scattering, osmometric, and viscometric data resulted in a discussion of the possibility of degradation and the causes of changes in the solution properties in chlorination of PVC and ββ-dideuterated poly(vinyl chloride) (ββ-d₂-PVC). The results obtained are discussed in relation to the mechanism of chlorination of PVC.     

Transition metal-doped titanium(IV) dioxide: Characterisation and influence on photodegradation of poly(vinyl chloride)

The effects of transition metal dopants (V(IV), V(V), Mn(II), Cr(III), Mo(V), and W(V)), introduced into TiO₂, upon the rate of photodegradation of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) films containing TiO₂ have been measured. The rates were determined mainly by monitoring carbonyl group formation. In another set of experiments, the rates of chloride ion release from irradiated PVC particles suspended in water undergoing agitation with air or O₂ in the presence of particles of doped TiO₂ were measured electrochemically. The doping of TiO₂ (rutile) with Cr(III), V(V) or Mn(II) reduces the photoactivity of the pigment, while doping by Mo(V) or W(V) enhances its photoactivity; the results obtained from carbonyl index measurements are paralleled closely by those from chloride ion release. Even the most aggressive doped pigments were less reactive than Degussa P25 pigment, while the greatest protection to PVC film was offered by TiO₂ particles coated with Al₂O₃ or SiO₂. Overall, the photoactivity of doped TiO₂ is a complex function of dopant concentration, the energy levels of the dopants in the TiO₂ lattice, their d electronic configuration and their local distribution. Photoactivity is also linked to other factors such as crystal type, particle size distribution and surface area. There is a clear relationship between the tendency of the dopant to induce the rutile-to-anatase transition and its effect in enhancing the photoactivity of the pigment. The characterisation of the doped pigments was achieved using X-ray powder diffraction, EPR spectroscopy, diffuse reflectance UV-vis spectrophotometry, scanning optical and electron microscopy and particle size analysis using LALLS.     

Spectroscopic studies of poly(vinyl chloride) and its deuterated derivatives

Poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) and all its deuterated derivatives were prepared by variation of the polymerization method and polymerization temperature to study the structure of PVC and the mechanism of addition polymerization by infrared spectroscopy and high resolution NMR spectroscopy. The CH and CH₂ stretching modes of PVC were assigned completely from the infrared spectra of PVC-αd₁, PVC-β,βd₂ and PVC-d₃. The frequencies of the CCI stretching modes of the polymers depended not only on the substituents in the trans position to the Cl atom across both adjacent C? C bonds, but also on the atom attached to the C atom of the C? Cl bond. The frequency shifts were used to assign the CCl stretching modes of PVC-βd₁ and PVC-α,βd₂ and to study the opening of the double bond of VC in the addition polymerization. The differences of the chemical shifts of the α and β protons of PVC due to the tacticity were determined experimentally by PVC-β,βd₂ and PVC-αd₁ without using the spin-decoupling technique. With PVC-α,βd₂, the conception of the tetrad was required to interpret the four observed peaks whose intensities changed with the polymerization temperature and the trans–cis composition of the monomer used.