INFLUENCE OF FECL3 ON THE MECHANICAL, THERMAL, AND DYNAMIC-MECHANICALBEHAVIOR OF PVC

PVC films impregnated with FeCl3 were prepared by casting. The effect of FeCl3 on the mechanical properties of PVC resembles the plasticizat ion effect in pol3rmeric matrices. Increasing the concentration of FeC l3 results in an increase in the strain at break and a decrease in the Young modulus, in the stress at yield, and in the stress at break. A concentration of 20 wt Ck causes a Young modulus drop of 59% in relati on to pure PVC. The plasticization effect was also confirmed by the sh ift of T-g to lower temperatures with an increase in FeCl3 concentrati on. The UV/vis absorption spectrum of PVC film impregnated with 1 wt % of FeCl3 shows the characteristic absorptions of the FeCl4- ion (315 and 360 nm), suggesting the reversible formation of ion pairs responsi ble for the plasticization.