ABSTRACT
In very few cases can poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) be fabricated into products without prior addition of a heat stabilizer. In this regard, PVC is unlike most thermoplastics. Milling or other processing of unstabilized PVC at temperatures needed for plastic flow results in rapid degradation, with symptoms including discoloration, odor, elimination of hydrogen chloride, and irreversible adhesion to equipment surfaces [1]. Other halogenated polymers such as chlorinated poly ethylene (CPE), chlorosulfonated polyethylene (CSM), PVDC, and chlorinated PVC are more or less similar. The object of stabilization is to control this degrada tion both during processing and end use.
