Internal plasticization of poly(vinyl chloride) by grafting acrylate copolymers via copper-mediated atom transfer radical polymerization

Internal plasticization of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) was achieved in one-step using copper-mediated atom transfer radical polymerization to graft different ratios of random n-butyl acrylate and 2-2-(2-ethoxyethoxy)ethyl acrylate copolymers from defect sites on the PVC chain. Five graft polymers were made with different ratios of poly(butyl acrylate) (PBA) and poly(2-2-(2-ethoxyethoxy)ethyl acrylate) (P2EEA); the glass transition temperatures (T-g) of functionalized PVC polymers range from - 25 to - 50 degrees C. Single T-g values were observed for all polymers, indicating good compatibility between PVC and grafted chains, with no evidence of microphase separation. Plasticization efficiency is higher for polyether P2EEA moieties compared with PBA components. The resultant PVC graft copolymers are thermally more stable compared to unmodified PVC. Increasing the reaction scale from 2 to 14 g produces consistent and reproducible results, suggesting this method could be applicable on an industrial scale.

Automated summary

In this study, internal plasticization of PVC was achieved in one-step by grafting different ratios of random n-butyl acrylate and 2-2-(2-ethoxyethoxy)ethyl acrylate copolymers from defect sites on the PVC chain using copper-mediated atom transfer radical polymerization. The resulting PVC graft copolymers exhibited good compatibility with PVC, improved plasticization efficiency, and enhanced thermal stability compared to unmodified PVC. Increasing the reaction scale could produce consistent and reproducible results, indicating potential industrial applicability.