Dibutyl sebacate as PVC ecoplasticizer-economic synthesis and functional properties

Area of Science:

• Polymer Science
• Materials Chemistry
• Sustainable Chemistry

Background:

• Poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) requires plasticization for flexibility, with phthalates widely used but facing restrictions due to toxicity.
• Di-n-butyl sebacate (DBS), a safe and biodegradable aliphatic ester, presents a viable alternative with excellent properties and scalability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate a scalable synthesis of Di-n-butyl sebacate (DBS).
• To evaluate the performance of DBS-plasticized PVC as a safer alternative to phthalate-plasticized PVC.

Main Methods:

• Optimized synthesis of DBS achieving approximately 100% yield under specific conditions (90°C, 15 mol% catalyst, 4:1 BuOH:sebacic acid ratio, 2 h).
• Kilogram-scale production of DBS-plasticized PVC.
• Evaluation of key properties including plasticizer migration, extension, breaking stress, and Shore A hardness.

Main Results:

• Scalable DBS synthesis achieved ~100% yield.
• DBS-plasticized PVC demonstrated minimal plasticizer migration (12.78% after 28 days).
• Enhanced mechanical properties: 350% extension, 15.7 MPa breaking stress, 80.2 Shore A hardness, outperforming conventional phthalates.

Conclusions:

• DBS synthesis is industrially scalable.
• DBS-plasticized PVC offers superior mechanical and leakage performance compared to phthalate-based PVC.
• DBS is a promising eco-friendly replacement for toxic phthalates in PVC applications, promoting sustainable materials.