An Investigation Into the Formation of Plasticizer Channels in Plasticized Polymer Films

The effects of plasticizer, polyethylene glycol (PEG-600), on the sucrose permeability, void volume and morphology of cellulose acetate free films were investigated. The sucrose permeability of cellulose acetate free films was found to decrease with increasing PEG-600 to a minimum and increase dramatically when they were plasticized by over 30% (w/w) PEG-600. The decrease in sucrose permeability of cellulose acetate free films with increasing plasticizer at low plasticizer concentrations could be interpreted by the antiplasticization effect, and the dramatic increase of sucrose permeability of cellulose acetate free films at high plasticizer level could be explained by the formation of plasticizer channels. The void volume of cellulose acetate free films were calculated by determining the water content in the films, and the effect of PEG-600 on the morphology of cellulose acetate free films was studied by using the scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Both the void volume and SEM studies supported the assumption that the plasticizer channels would be formed in the polymer films which contain high concentration of plasticizer.