Volatility of some aromatic nitrosubstituted plasticizers for polymers

Abstract

Nine derivatives of nitrophthalic acids and nitrophenols were synthesized as potential plasticizers for polymers and structurally characterized by ¹H NMR and elemental analysis. The time dependences of the weight loss for the nitro derivatives synthesized and for commercial plasticizers (dibutyl phthalate and dioctyl phthalate) were obtained by gravimetric method at 100ºC, and their volatilities and dipole moments were calculated. The resultant nitroplasticizers are considerably less volatile than dibutyl phthalate. Low volatility is associated not so much with high molecular weight as with high polarity. The nitroplasticizers are well compatible with cellulose esters and exhibit low rates of migration from polymer films.