The Effect of Epoxidized Sunflower Oil on the Miscibility of Plasticized PVC/NBR Blends

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Blends of plasticized poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) with several ratios of nitrile rubber (NBR) were studied. The effects of epoxidized sunflower oil (ESO) in combination with di-(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) in the PVC blends on the tensile strength, elongation, hardness, and dynamical mechanical analysis (DMA) were studied. The modulus and hardness results revealed that the addition of ESO to the blend favors the miscibility of PVC and NBR. The PVC/NBR/(DEHP-ESO) blends behave as a compatible system as is evident from the single T g observed in DMA. The moderate level broadening of the T g zone in blends is due to the presence of ESO in the plasticizer system. Blends of plasticized PVC and nitrile rubber showed promising properties. The ESO is suitable to partially replace DEHP in PVC/NBR blends.