SYNTHESIS AND EVALUATION OF DIALKYL FURAN-2,5-DICARBOXYLATES AS PLASTICIZERS FOR PVC

Di(2-ethylhexyl), di(2-octyl), dihexyl, and dibutyl furan-2,5-dicarbox ylate were synthesized from furfural and characterized for their plast icizing abilities toward PVC by dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (D MTA) with di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DOP) as the standard of referenc e. DMTA gave values for the depression of the glass transition tempera ture (T-g) per mass fraction of plasticizer, and it also yielded a set of parameters, relative to those for DOP, which describe the compatib ility of the furan diesters with PVC. The efficiency in lowering T-g a s exhibited by di(2-ethylhexyl) furan-2,5-dicarboxylate is similar to that of its benzenoid analog, DOP, and was determined at 2.41 and 2.45 degrees C per mass % plasticizer, respectively. All four furan dieste rs were found to be more compatible toward PVC than toward DOP, with d ibutyl furan-2,5-dicarboxylate the most highly compatible. (C) 1994 Jo hn Wiley and Sons, Inc.