What Plasticizers Do & How They Affect Properties | Osborne
Posted May 17, 2025. Plasticizers are non-volatile chemical solvents used throughout the plastics industry to increase such properties as flexibility, pliability, durability, longevity, biodegradability, and extensibility in polymers. When added to a plastic or elastomer, plasticizers affect the properties of the material without fundamentally
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Plasticizer - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics
Plasticizers are low molecular weight substances added to a polymer solution to promote its plasticity and flexibility. Therefore, the plasticizers make the polymer solution more suitable for the application of film coating. There should be chemical similarities between the polymers and its plasticizers.
Plasticizers – Benefits, Trends, Health, and Environmental
Plasticizers soften the PVC to make it flexible and bendable. This opens up a huge range of possibilities for new applications. One of the main benefits of plasticizers is the durability they confer onto PVC applications, which can ensure high performances for up to 50 years.
Plasticizer
The molecules of plasticizer take control over mobility of the chain - a polymer chain does not show an increase of the free volume around polymer ends. If plasticizer/water creates hydrogen bonds with hydrophilic parts of the polymer, the associated free volume can be decreased. [clarification needed] [6]
- What factors affect plasticizer efficiency?
- Internal mobility (flexibility): This parameter plays a crucial role in determining plasticizer efficiency. This is true for various polymers unless polymer crystallinity is involved. The reduction of Tg is proportional to the temperature difference between the Tg of the polymer and plasticizer.
- How do plasticizers affect a polymer?
- Well-chosen plasticizers can also improve resistance to UV exposure and chemical attack. This contributes to the long-term stability of the polymer. In specific applications, plasticizers can influence the dielectric properties of polymers.
- Why are external plasticizers used in polymerization?
- Compared to adding plasticizers during polymerization, they give manufacturers more flexibility in formulation. External plasticizers have a low vapor pressure. They interact with the polymer at high temperatures without a chemical reaction. The interaction happens through their solvent or swelling ability.
- How does a plasticizer work?
- For a plasticizer to be effective, it must have two structural components. The polar part should bind reversibly with the polymer. The non-polar part adds free volume and contributes shielding effects at other polar sites on the polymer chain. Maintaining a balance between the two parts is critical to prevent compatibility issues.
- What happens if the forces between plasticizer molecules exceed plasticizer-polymer interactions?
- If the forces between plasticizer molecules exceed plasticizer-polymer interactions, no plasticization happens. For example, as observed with glycerol and PVC. Polar groups on flexible aliphatic chains also improve plasticization than stiff aromatic chains. The increased mobility of aliphatic groups enables more effective plasticization.
- Do plasticizers have thermal effects?
- The thermal effects of plasticizers are also typically desirable to increase the ease of processing and to reduce energy expenditure when processing the polymer. The glass transition temperature is the most important when discussing the use and value of plasticizers.
