Synthesis and Application of Sustainable Furfuryl Alcohol‐based Plasticizer
Hao Chen, Jiheng Ding, Hongze Liang, Haibin Yu
Abstract
Abstract The application of green and sustainable plasticizers deriving from natural resources has become a promising way to replace conventional petroleum‐based plasticizers like dioctyl phthalate (DOP). Herein, the environment‐friendly plasticizer dioctyl 1‐((octanoyloxy)methyl)‐7‐oxabicyclo‐[2.2.1] hept‐5‐ene‐2,3‐dicarboxylate (DOMFC) was synthesized from a renewable resource, furfuryl alcohol and maleic anhydride, and its plasticization efficiencies in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) was studied. The tensile strain of PVC‐DOMFC reached about 7.4 times higher than that of pure PVC, which was higher than that of PVC‐DOP composites. Solvent extraction and thermal stability results indicated that the epoxy groups and ester bonds in DOMFC could efficiently increase the plasticizing effect, while the existence of furan rings improved the rigidity of the PVC. This design strategy opens an avenue for fabricating high‐performance green plasticizers to replace DOP.