High-temperature mechanical behavior of PVC: A comparison of suspension- and emulsion-prepared polymers

We have investigated the high temperature mechanical behavior of several unplasticized emulsion- and suspension-prepared whole polymers, and carried out molecular weight, molecular weight distribution, and branching characterization studies on these same materials. It is concluded that the easier workability of the emulsion product is probably due to the absence of a considerable amount of high molecular weight polymer in these as compared to suspension-prepared polymers of equal average molecular weight as reflected by intrinsic viscosity determinations of Fikentscher K values.