Processability and characterization of poly(vinyl chloride)-b-poly(n-butyl acrylate)-b-poly(vinyl chloride) prepared by living radical polymerization of vinyl chloride.: Comparison with a flexible commercial resin formulation prepared with PVC and dioctyl phthalate

This work reports the synthesis and processing of a new flexible material based on PVC produced by living radical polymerization. The synthesis was carried out in a two-step process. In the first step the macroinitiator alpha.omega-di(iodo)poly(butyl acrylate) [alpha,omega-di(iodo)PBA] was synthesized in water by single electron transfer/degenerative chain transfer mediated living radical polymerization (SET-DTLRP) catalyzed by Na2S2O4- In the second step this macroinitiator was reinitiated by SET-DTLRP of vinyl chloride (VC), thereby leading to the formation of the block copolymer poly(vinyl chloride)-b-poly(butyl acrylate)-b-poly(vinyl chloride) [PVC-b-PBA-b-PVC]. This new material was processed on a laboratory scale. The DMTA traces showed only a single glass transition temperature, thus indicating that no phase segregation was present. The copolymers were studied with regard to their processing, miscibility, and mechanical properties. The first comparison with commercial formulations made with PVC and dioctyl phthalate (DOP) is presented.