Synthesis and application of environmental soybean oil-based epoxidized glycidyl ester plasticizer for poly(vinyl chloride)

A novel environmental soybean oil-based plasticizer, epoxidized glycidyl ester of soybean oil fatty acids (EGESOFa), was synthesized and characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), H-1-nuclear magnetic resonance (H-1-NMR), and C-13-nuclear magnetic resonance (C-13-NMR). Effects of EGESOFa substitution of commercial plasticizer dioctyl phthalate (DOP) in poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) films were studied. Dynamic mechanical property, thermal stability and mechanical properties of PVC films plasticized with different content of EGESOFa were investigated with dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and tensile and hardness tests. The results indicated that soybean oil-based plasticizer could significantly increase plasticizing effect and improve thermal stability of PVC blends when partially of completely replaced DOP. Furthermore, EGESOFa could endow PVC resin with well-balanced properties of flexibility, strength, and hardness. Surface characterization of films and the possible interaction between plasticizers and PVC molecular were also investigated. This soybean oil-based alternative plasticizer has the potential to be a main or secondary plasticizer in food packing, children toys, medical devices, and other environmental plastic materials. Practical applications: An efficient alternative plasticizer was obtained in this study. The addition of EGESOFa to the PVC blends could be a potential application to manufacture high-performance PVC products for the markets with high safety, health, and environmental demands, which are currently restricted to the petroleum-based phthalates. This could be also a new way of soybean oil for industrial uses. A novel soybean oil-based alternative plasticizer, epoxidized glycidyl ester of soybean oil fatty acids (EGESOFa), is successfully prepared and applied as a main or secondary plasticizer for poly(vinyl chloride).