(385h) Molecular Weight Fractionation of Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) in Green Solvent Systems

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is a widely used polymer with diverse applications, ranging from construction materials to medical devices to consumer products. Fractionation (i.e., the separation of polymer chains based on molecular weights) can be applied to PVC as a means of removing lower molecular weight content and modifying overall properties. In this study, we investigated the fractionation of PVC in using mixtures of two green solvents: methanol and acetone. We systematically examined the effects of solvent composition on the fractionation efficiency and yield of commercial PVC from a major US supplier. Gel permeation chromatography (GPC) was used to characterize the molecular weight and polydispersity of each fraction and elucidated the influence of solvent composition on the fractionation process. Our findings reveal significant opportunities to fractionate PVC with simple and environmentally friendly solvent compositions. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of PVC fractionation mechanisms and provides valuable insights for optimizing PVC processing and applications.