PVC plastisols, crosslinked in the presence of a polyfunctional epoxy resin, were obtained via spread coating. It was possible to infer that the presence of an amine type accelerator, at least in the conditions used in this study, proved to be essential for crosslinking. The results of reticulation degree showed that gel formation only happened in samples where the amine type accelerator has been used concomitantly with the epoxy resin. The results of Young’s modulus seem to confirm the hypothesis of formation of a three dimensional network between the molecules of PVC and epoxy resin, but it was not possible to confirm a chemical reaction between these two polymers because of the large number of molecules present in the formulation. Evidence that crosslinking actually occurred may come from more detailed studies and the use of complementary characterization techniques, which are underway.
PVC; poly(vinyl chloride); plastisol; epoxy; hyperbranched polymers; crosslinking
