Abstract:
This research aims to investigate a feasibility of modifying natural rubber seed oil in order to utilize the modified oil as a plasticizer for poly(vinyl chloride)(PVC). An optimum condition for carrying out an epoxidation to convert unsaturated double bonds in the rubber seed oil molecules into epoxide groups is of interested. After that, the epoxidized rubber seed oil (ERSO) was blended with poly(vinyl chloride) and then fabricated into test pieces for mechanical testing. Epoxidation of rubber seed oil was carried out by using peracetic acid, which was generated in situ from a reaction between acetic acid and hydrogen peroxide. Effects of reaction variables such as amount of starting reagents, time and temperature on Oxirane oxygen value, Iodine value and viscosity of products were investigated. It was found that an optimum condition corresponding to ERSO with a maximum Oxirane oxygen is that involving the use of mole ratio of unsaturation : acetic acid : hydrogen peroxide of 1 : 0.8 : 3.2 , at a reaction temperature of 60?C for 8 hours. After that, the epoxidation rubber seed oil was then blended with poly(vinyl chloride) resin and relevant additives on a two-roll mill at 145?C and then fabricated in a hydraulic compression mould at 150?C . From tensile testing, it was found that strength, elongation and modulus of PVC compounded with ERSO decreased with increasing the ERSO content. On the other hand, tensile strength and elongation of PVC compounded with an epoxidized soybean oil (ESO) did not change with the ESO content. These results indicated that the ERSO obtained from this work can not function as an effective plasticizer for PVC. It was believed that this was attributed to an insufficient polarity of the ERSO