How about alternatives to phthalate plasticizers?

Phthalate plasticizers have historically served as the preferred plasticizers to impart flexibility to PVC and several other polar polymers. They provide a desirable balance of cost and performance properties. Their acceptable and safe use is unmatched in medical appliances, food processing, and packaging applications, as well as in many other end uses. Potential alternatives do not have the historical record of acceptable performance found with phthalate plasticizers. Nevertheless, the “Precautionary Principle” has caused certain segments of society to clamor for alternates to phthalate plasticizers. This paper reviews known “non‐phthalate” plasticizers and provides comparisons to the traditional “General Purpose” (GP) phthalate plasticizers; “General Purpose” plasticizers are those that impart optimum overall performance properties in PVC at lowest cost.