Compounding PVC with renewable materials

PVC compounding with renewable materials is reviewed, including raw materials production technology, market dynamics and technical aspects of the finished products compared with current solutions. PVC resins produced from renewable ethylene and plasticisers obtained from vegetable oils are described and evaluated. An overview of the market changes that have enabled the competitiveness of biobased materials is also considered, outlining the agricultural technology and challenges and the state of the art of chemical processes to obtain renewable components for PVC formulating. Options to formulate with renewable components are discussed on the basis of a review of the literature. It is concluded that a PVC compound formulated with renewable resin and plasticiser is not only viable, but represents a natural evolution towards a more sustainable PVC supply chain. As a sample calculation, 1 ton of a clear flexible vinyl formulation with 100 phr resin and 60 phr plasticiser would remove 2.3 tons of CO(2) from the atmosphere.