What are plasticizers? High molecular weight Pthalates Safety and regulations Key benefits Low volatility for increased heat aging resistance and higher retained mechanical properties Neat plasticizer volatility is an important property indicating the relative permanence of plasticizers. Heat aging is an important test to demonstrate plasticized PVC durability and reliability over time. Volatile losses The rate of volatile loss of a plasticizer from PVC is controlled by diffusion to and evaporation from the surface. Rates of plasticizer losses can be anticipated from the neat plasticizer weight loss. High permanency and low volatile losses Resistance to volatile loss from the end product under service conditions constitutes a key factor for plasticizer selection. For most flexible applications, in-service plasticizer evaporation is the essential parameter that drives finished product durability. Better retained properties after aging. Maximum weight loss or change of mechanical properties (stress at break, elongation at break) before and after aging determines the suitability of compounds for wire and cable. Improved flexible PVC processing A low solution temperature indicates that dry blends can form at a relatively low temperature, will occur faster at a set temperature or that plastisols will gel and fuse at a lower temperature. It also indicates that the plasticizer is tolerant of the use of secondary plasticizers. Good plastisol pre-gelation and fusion When processing plastisols, the gelling energy is worked only by heat transfer. The higher the plasticizer solution temperature, the higher the processing temperature or the longer time needed to achieve plastisol gelation. The rate of plastisol viscosity increases with the temperature is an indication of the solvency power of the plasticizer and its ease of processing. Good extraction resistance DINP and DIDP plasticizers exhibit similar resistance to extraction versus alternatives but due to lower volatility will show lower losses over time, and longer product life. Not all plasticizers are meeting car interior fogging requirements Fogging is the tendency of car interior materials to produce a light scattering film on a glass surface. Evaporation of plasticizers from car interior components can contribute to fogging but are not the sole contributor to fogging. Applications