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 RETARDANTS
 ANTIMICROBIAL 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, GAS

 VISCOSITY
 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
x x
VALUE)

PARTICLE SIZE & DISTRIBUTION x -

HEAT STABILITY x -

FISH EYES, GELS - x

CONTAMINATION x x

HEAT LOSS x x

BRABENDER (DRY TIME)

x -
(FUSION TORQUE)

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 &

x x
DISTRIBUTION

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,
155 2 90 40 60 5
USA
Relative Resin
Lowest Low Higher Higher Highest Low
Cost
Machine Cost,
1-3 1-2.5 0.3-0.6 0.3-0.6 0.3-0.7 0.3-1.3
$ Million
Rate & range,
800-8000 500-1500 600 750 750 100-1000
lb/hr

(4½ in.) (4½ in.) with fluxer

Product gauge
.002/.050 .002/.050 .001/.003 .005/.125 .001/.012 .0015/.020
range, in.
Sheet
3(1-5) 3(1-5) 10 10 7 5(2-10)
accuracy, %
Time to heat,
6 5 3 3 ½ 3
hr
Time for “on
2-5 min 10 min 2 hr 5 hr 10 min 2-5 min
stream”
Gauge adjust
Sec Sec 5-30 min 5-30 min Sec 1 min
time
Auto gauging
Yes Yes No No No No
capability
Color or
10-40 30-60
product 5-30 min 30-60 min 15 min 30-60 min
min min
change time
Wind-up
speed ypm,

average(max) 80(150) 60(80) 15(20) 15(30) 20(40) 20(30)

High Lower Reduced

Limitations Poor accuracy, long Fumes,
capital rate rate
cost, heat and
versatility on stream time, low inefficiency,
time range,soft,
rate, materials
problem high energy
degradation, only,
slow
reduced versatility cost, resin
manual
cost, gauge
release change

paper cost
 Low Grain Good on
Applications & Versatility Accuracy
investment reten- wall
gauge covering,
Advantages high rate multi-plant capability tion(pattern
adjust thin
reduced material,
accuracy utilization, thin gauge cast in),
cost coated
ease & fabric,
(.003in. and under) soft hand
adjust accuracy
and heavy
ease at and drape reduced
gauge
re- (.050-
investment
process .125in.)

For more information call 800-OK-LINER today!