Thermorheological analysis of PVC blends

The effect of temperature on dynamic viscoelastic measurements of miscible poly (vinyl chloride) (PVC)/ethylene-vinyl acetate-carbon monoxide terpolymer (EVA-CO) and immiscible PVC/high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and PVC/chlorinated polyethylene (CPE) molten blends is discussed. PVC plasticized with di(2 ethyl hexyl) phthalate (PVC/DOP) and CaCO₃ filled HDPE (HDPE/CaCO₃) are also considered for comparison purposes. Thermorheological complexity is analyzed using two time-temperature superposition methods: double logarithmic plots of storage modulus, G′, vs. loss modulus, G″, and loss tangent, tan δ, vs. complex modulus, G*, plots. Both methods reveal that miscible PVC/EVA-CO and PVC/DOP systems are thermorheologically complex, which is explained by the capacity of PVC to form microdomains or crystallites during mixing and following cooling of the blends. For immiscible PVC/HDPE and PVC/CPE blends the results of log G′ vs. log G″ show temperature independence. However, when tan δ vs. log G* plots are used, the immiscible blends are shown to be thermorheologically complex, indicating that the morphology observed by microscopy and constitued by a PVC phase dispersed in a HDPE or CPE matrix, is reflected by this rheological technique.