Preparation and characterization of magnesium stearate, cobalt stearate, and copper stearate and their effects on poly(vinyl chloride) dehydrochlorination

Abstract

Preparation and characterization of pure metal soaps and investigation of their effects on poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) dehydrochlorination were the objectives of the present study. Magnesium stearate (MgSt2), cobalt stearate (CoSt2), and copper stearate (CuSt2) were prepared by a precipitation method. An aqueous sodium stearate (NaSt) solution was mixed at 500 rpm with respective metal salt solutions at 75oC. The precipitates that formed were collected by filtration, washed with water, and ultimately dried at 105oC under reduced pressure. Lamellar crystals that melted on heating were obtained. Solid-liquid phase transitions were observed by optical microscopy at 160oC, 159oC, and 117oC for MgSt2, CoSt2, and CuSt2, respectively. However, the melting points of MgSt2, CoSt2, and CuSt2 were determined as 115oC, 159oC, and 111oC, respectively, by analysis by differential scanning calorimetry. The onset temperature of the mass loss was the lowest at 255oC for CuSt2 and the lowest activation energy for thermal decomposition was 18 kJ/mol for CuSt2. CoSt2 was effective in extending the induction time of PVC dehydrochlorination at both 140oC and 160oC. The activation energy calculated from stability time decreased from 175 kJ/mol for a blank PVC sample to 114, 105, and 107 kJ/mol for MgSt2, CoSt2, and CuSt2-containing PVC samples, respectively. All three metal soaps accelerated the dehydrochlorination of PVC. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 21:235-244, 2015.