Study of fusion percolation thresholds of rigid PVC compounds

Rigid poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC), PVC/chlorinated polyethylene (CPE), and PVC/CPE/oxidized polyethylene (OPE) compounds were prepared in a Haake torque rheometer. The fusion percolation thresholds (FPTs) of these compounds were defined and compared. Moreover, the fusion curves of these compounds were illustrated and compared. A higher processing temperature resulted in a shorter fusion time and a lower FPT. For PVC/CPE compounds, a higher concentration of CPE could decrease the FPT and promote PVC particles to fuse together easily. Meanwhile, in the beginning of the fusion process, the interaction between a higher concentration of OPE and calcium stearate in PVC/OPE compounds could also promote an easy fusion of the PVC particles. For PVC/CPE/OPE compounds, the synergistic interaction among CPE, OPE, and calcium stearate resulted in the shortest fusion time and the lowest FPT. The FPTs of rigid PVC samples were strongly dependent on not only the processing conditions but also the formulations of the samples. (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.