Analysis Of Pvc Produced With An Environmentally Friendly Additive Exposed To Gamma Radiation

Commercial Poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) compounds are based on the combination of the polymer and additives that gives the formulation necessary for the end-use. In medical-device applications, PVC may be treated by gamma irradiation in sterilization process. As a consequence of ionization during irradiation, PVC chains undergo simultaneously crosslinking and scission effects. Therefore, it is necessary the study of new additives with radiolytic stabilization characteristics. In this study, the vegetable oil extracted from coffee grounds (OCG) was incorporated in PVC resin as an additive to produce PVC films and PVC test specimens. The viscosity measurements showed that OCG is a promising radioprotection at 0.5 wt% concentration. The results of mechanical and thermal properties are also discussed. The aim of this study is to show that it is possible to develop a formulation for processing PVC with radiation resistance and, at the same time, friendly to the environment due to recycle the wastes from coffee industry.