The plasticizing characteristics of some fatty acid morpholides and morpholide-hydrocarbon extender blends

Abstract

The preparation and plasticizing characteristics in poly (vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate) copolymer resin of 14 morpholides of unsubstituted and substituted C₁₈ fatty acids are reported, as well as the plasticizing performance of blends of the morpliolide of hydrogenated cottonseed acids with such hydrocarbon extenders as Conoco H-35, Amoco BN-1, and Monsanto HB-20 and 40. Up to 50% of some of these extenders can be blended with the morpholide of hydrogenated cottonseed acids without loss of compatibility. Economics excepted, such blends are of questionable merit with respect to performance. Although substituent groups such as oxirane, benzyl, and carbonyl improve the compatibility, volatility, and soapy water extractability characteristics of the fatty acid morpholide plasticizers, they are almost invariably detrimental to low-temperature performance and efficiency. The dimorpholides of the dimer acids exhibit no measurable volatility loss in plasticized stock and mixtures with a monomeric morpholide exhibit unusually low volatility losses. Ternary composition-compatibility diagrams are described for two systems involving the morpholides of linoleic, epoxyoctadecenoic, and palmitic acid in one instance and oleic, dimer, and palmitic acid in the other. These diagrams delineate the fatty acyl compositional limitations consonant with compatibility of these two sys-tems in poly (vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate) copolymer.