Influence of FeCl3 on the mechanical, thermal, and dynamic mechanical behavior of PVC

PVC films impregnated with FeCl3 were prepared by casting. The effect of FeCl3 on the mechanical properties of PVC resembles the plasticization effect in pol3rmeric matrices. Increasing the concentration of FeCl3 results in an increase in the strain at break and a decrease in the Young modulus, in the stress at yield, and in the stress at break. A concentration of 20 wt Ck causes a Young modulus drop of 59% in relation to pure PVC. The plasticization effect was also confirmed by the shift of T-g to lower temperatures with an increase in FeCl3 concentration. The UV/vis absorption spectrum of PVC film impregnated with 1 wt % of FeCl3 shows the characteristic absorptions of the FeCl4- ion (315 and 360 nm), suggesting the reversible formation of ion pairs responsible for the plasticization.