Critical Properties of PVC Raw Materials

Canadian General Tower

CRITICAL PROPERTIES OF RAW MATERIALS 

---

INTRODUCTION

AS CAN BE READILY APPRECIATED, THIS TOPIC IS FAR RANGING AND VERY COMPLICATED, A FULL DAY SEMINAR COULD BE SPENT ON EACH MATERIAL CATEGORY, WHAT WE WILL ATTEMPT, AT THIS TIME, IS A PRESENTATION OF A VERY GENERAL NATURE CONCERNING THE CHARACTERISTICS DEEMED IMPORTANT IN THE VARIOUS RAW MATERIAL TYPES AS THEY PERTAIN TO P.V.C. MANUFACTURE AT CGT.

WHAT WE WILL BE EXAMINING IS NOT THE PROPERTY RESULTING FROM A MATERIAL BEING USED BUT THE PROPERTIES INHERENT IN THE MATERIAL AS IT IS PURCHASED.

WITH GENERALIZATION A MEASURE OF SIMPLIFICATION OCCURS. WITH SIMPLIFICATION THE POSSIBILITY OF OMISSIONS AND SOME DISTORTION CAN ALSO OCCUR. WHERE THIS MIGHT HAPPEN, DURING Carl, FOLLOWING REMARKS, YOUR UNDERSTANDING IS ASKED FOR. 

DISCUSSION

THE RAW MATERIAL CATEGORIES USED AT CGT CAN BE LISTED AS FOLLOWS:

• PVC RESINS

• PLASTICIZERS

• FILLERS

• LUBRICANTS

• PROCESSING AIDS

• STABILIZERS - HEAT & LIGHT

• FIRE RETARDANT

• SANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS

• SOLVENTS

• COLORANTS

• BLOWING AGENTS 

NOW EACH OF THESE MATERIAL GROUPINGS HAS A DISTINCTIVE FUNCTION IN THE MANUFACTURE OF A P.V.C. PRODUCT. ONE GROUP MAY AFFECT PRIMARILY END USE PROPERTIES. ANOTHER GROUP MAY AFFECT PRIMARILY PROCESSING PROPERTIES, SOME MAY AFFECT BOTH END USE AND PROCESSING PARAMETERS. THE INCLUSION IN A RECIPE 05 A MATERIAL FROM ANY ONE GROUPING IS DONE WITH A DEFINITE PURPOSE TOWARDS A DEFINABLE RESULT,

IT IS NOT THE PURPOSE HERE TO ELABORATE ON THE FUNCTION OF EACH OF THESE MATERIAL CATEGORIES - SUFFICE IT TO SAY THAT TEXTS HAVE BEEN WRITTEN ON SUB GROUPS WITHIN A CATEGORY.

AND SO, TO THE CRITICAL PROPERTIES OF THESE RAW MATERIALS, THE MAJOR FACTOR, THE OVERRIDING CONCERN WHICH AFFECTS ALL OF THE RAW MATERIAL GROUPINGS IS THAT OF MATERIAL UNIFORMITY, MATERIAL CONSISTENCY, VARIATION OR VARIABILITY OF RAW MATERIAL REFLECTS DIRECTLY ON PROCESSING AND END USE PROPERTIES. 

ALL OF THE RAW MATERIALS CAN BE DESCRIBED IN TWO WAYS:

1. CHEMICAL

2. PHYSICAL 

   
   

EACH OF THE TWO DESCRIPTIONS IMPACTS MIGHTILY ON MANUFACTURE OF P.V.C. PRODUCTS. 

1. THE CHEMICAL FACTOR DESCRIBES:

• COMPOSITION

• PURITY 

2. THE PHYSICAL FACTOR DESCRIBES:

• STATE, LIQUID, SOLID, GASVISCOSITY

• PARTICLE SIZE - DISTRIBUTION, POROSITY, BULK DENSITY

• COLOR

• CONTAMINATION 

THESE TWO FACTORS DETERMINE:

WHAT THE PRODUCT WILL DO HOW WELL THE PRODUCT DOES IT

THE INTERDEPENDENCY OF EACH MATERIAL GROUPING WITHIN A RECIPE MUST BE STRESSED, THE PROPERTIES BOTH PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL OF AN INGREDIENT CAN AND DOES AFFECT THE BEHAVIOR OF SOME OR ALL OF THE OTHER INGREDIENTS IN THAT RECIPE. ANYONE WITH THE SLIGHTEST ACQUAINTANCE WITH PLATEOUT OR BLOOM CAN APPRECIATE THE VALIDITY OF THIS STATEMENT.

SO, LET US EXAMINE SOME OF THE RAW MATERIAL CATEGORIES IN A LITTLE MORE DETAIL. 

1. P.V.C. RESINS: 

MAJOR PROPERTIES	EFFECTS	EFFECTS
	PROCESS	END USE
MOLECULAR WT.
(SPECIFICVISCOSITY) (R VALUE)	x	x
PARTICLE SIZE & DISTRIBUTION	x	-
HEAT STABILITY	x	-
FISH EYES, GELS	-	x
CONTAMINATION	x	x
HEAT LOSS	x	x
BRABENDER (DRY TIME) (FUSION TORQUE)	x	-

MOLECULAR WEIGHT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PROPERTY OF A P.V.C. RESIN AS IT DIRECTLY AFFECTS PROCESSING AND END USE PROPERTIES. PARTICLE SIZE, DISTRIBUTION, POROSITY AFFECT MELT VISCOSITY, DRY BLENDING, FLUXING, DUSTING, DRY FLOW. HEAT STABILITY CONCERNS PROCESSING. FISH EYES AND CONTAMINATION STRONGLY REFLECT ON END USE APPLICATIONS AND DEPENDING ON SEVERITY, PROCESSING. 

2. PLASTICIZERS 

MAJOR PROPERTIES	EFFECTS	EFFECTS
	PROCESS	END USE
COMPOSITION	-	x
COLOR	-	x
VISCOSITY	x	-
COMPATIBILITY	x	x
VOLATILITY	-	x

GIVEN THAT THE PLASTICIZER HAS BEEN CHOSEN CORRECTLY, THE CHEMICAL COMPOSITION IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO END USE AND EFFICIENCY, COLOR IMPACTS ON THE USEFULNESS OF THE END PRODUCT. VISCOSITY IS IMPORTANT FOR TRANSPORT DURING COMPOUNDING AND FOR EASE OF DRY BLENDING. COMPATIBILITY RELATES TO END USE (EXUDATION) AND VOLATILITY TO PERMANENCE. 

3. STABILIZERS 

MAJOR PROPERTIES	EFFECTS	EFFECTS
	PROCESS	END USE
COMPOSITION	x	x
PHYSICAL STATES	x	-
SOLID, LIQUID, GRANULE
COMPATIBILITY	x	x

THE CHEMICAL COMPOSITION IMPACTS DIRECTLY ON THE PROCESS AND END USE. ALTHOUGH MANY OTHER INGREDIENTS INFLUENCE PRODUCT STABILITY, THE STABILIZERS ARE THE FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE AGAINST DEGRADATION DUE TO HEAT AND LIGHT. VARIATIONS IN CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OR INTRODUCTION OF DILUENTS AND/OR IMPURITIES ARE READILY DISCERNIBLE.

THE PHYSICAL STATE - LIQUID, GRANULE, POWDER IS RELATED TO EASE OF DISPERSION THROUGHOUT THE BLEND AND HENCE EFFECTIVENESS. COMPATIBILITY IS ESSENTIAL FOR PERMANENCE (PLATEOUT DURING PROCESSING, BLOOM IN FINISHED PRODUCT). 

4. FILLERS, FIRE RETARDANTS 

MAJOR PROPERTIES	EFFECTS	EFFECTS
	PROCESS	END USE
PARTICLE SIZE & DISTRIBUTION	x	x
COLOR	-	x
COMPOSITION	x	x
OIL ABSORPTION	x	-

PARTICLE SIZE IMPACTS ON DISPERSION AND OPACITY AS WELL AS SUCH END USE PROPERTIES AS COLD CRACK AND HARDNESS. OPACITY AND COLOR OF THESE ADDITIVES ARE VERY CRITICAL IN PIGMENTATION OF THE P.V.C, PRODUCTS. IMPURITIES INTRODUCED BY THIS CLASS OF RAW MATERIAL CAN BE PARTICULARLY DETRIMENTAL TO HEAT STABILITY.

5. LUBRICANTS

MAJOR PROPERTIES	EFFECTS	EFFECTS
	PROCESS	END USE
COMPOSITION	x	-
PHYSICAL STATE	x	-
LIQUID, GRANULE,, POWDER
COMPATIBILITY	x	x

LUBRICANTS ARE CLOSELY RELATED TO STABILIZERS THEIR FUNCTION AND EFFECT, COMPOSITION AND COMPATIBILITY DETERMINE FUNCTIONALITY AND PERMANENCE (ANTI-PLATEOUT, ANTI-BLOOM). PHYSICAL STATE DETERMINES THE EASE OF DISPERSION. 

CONCLUSION

CRITICAL PROPERTIES THEN, ARE GENERALLY DEFINED BY PURITY OF CHEMICAL COMPOSITION AND PHYSICAL FORM, SPECIFICATIONS ARE DESIGNED AROUND THESE PARAMETERS. UNIFORMITY, CONSISTENCY OF RAW MATERIAL ARE PARAMOUNT FOR OPTIMUM PROCESSING AND SUITABILITY OF END PRODUCT APPLICATION.

PAUL LUSSIER

Canadian General-Tower, Ltd.

COMPARISON OF METHODS OF PVC SHEET AND FILM MANUFACTURE
		Extruder	Blown	Flex Lip	Plastisol
	Calendar	Calendar	Film	Extruder	Cast	Melt Roll
Lines installed, USA	155	2	90	40	60	5
Relative Resin Cost	Lowest	Low	Higher	Higher	Highest	Low
Machine Cost, $ Million	1-3	1-2.5	0.3-0.6	0.3-0.6	0.3-0.7	0.3-1.3
Rate & range, lb/hr	800-8000	500-1500	600	750	750	100-1000
				(4½ in.)	(4½ in.)	with fluxer
Product gauge range, in.	.002/.050	.002/.050	.001/.003	.005/.125	.001/.012	.0015/.020
Sheet accuracy, %	3(1-5)	3(1-5)	10	10	7	5(2-10)
Time to heat, hr	6	5	3	3	½	3
Time for “on stream”	2-5 min	10 min	2 hr	5 hr	10 min	2-5 min
Gauge adjust time	Sec	Sec	5-30 min	5-30 min	Sec	1 min
Auto gauging capability	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Color or product change time	5-30 min	10-40 min	30-60 min	30-60 min	15 min	30-60 min
Wind-up speed ypm,
average(max)	80(150)	60(80)	15(20)	15(30)	20(40)	20(30)
Limitations	High capital	Lower rate	Poor accuracy, long		Fumes,	Reduced rate
	cost, heat time	versatility	on stream time, low		inefficiency,	and range,soft,
		problem	rate, degradation,		high energy	materials only,
			reduced versatility		cost, resin	slow manual
					cost, release	gauge change
					paper cost
Applications &	Versatility	Accuracy	Low investment		Grain reten-	Good on wall
Advantages	high rate	gauge adjust	multi-plant capability		tion(pattern	covering, thin
	accuracy	reduced cost	utilization, thin gauge		cast in),	material, coated
	ease & adjust		(.003in. and under)		soft hand	fabric, accuracy
	ease at		and heavy gauge		and drape	reduced
	re-process		(.050-.125in.)			investment

For more information call 800-OK-LINER today!