Plasticisers
People have been using plasticisers (US: plasticizers) to make things soft and flexible for thousands of years. Water has been used to soften clay since the early evolution of man and oils are known to have been used centuries ago to plasticise pitch for waterproofing boats.
Tip: Scroll to the bottom to find more information on individual plasticisers.
Modern plasticisers (US: plasticizers) are similar and different at the same time – constituting a wide range of chemistries and molecules bringing high performance in a wide array of applications in a safe and sustainable manner. They are colourless and odourless liquids which cannot be simply treated as additives like pigments or fillers. Today, over 85 percent of all plasticisers consumed in Europe are employed in flexible PVC applications, largely for the construction, automotive and wire & cable sectors. They are, in fact, major functional substances that transform the physical properties of PVC and other polymers creating a whole new world of flexible and durable finished articles for high performing applications.
Over the last 60 years more than 30,000 different substances have been evaluated for their plasticising properties. Of these, only a small number – approximately 50 – are today in commercial use after meeting the rigorous performance, cost, availability, health and environmental requirements which are imposed by the market, users and regulators. The most common plasticisers include esters such as adipates, azelates, citrates, benzoates, ortho-phthalates, terephthalates, sebacates, and trimellitates. They are produced by reacting an alcohol (such as isononanol or 2-propylheptanol) with an acid such as phthalic anhydride, terephthalic acid, adipic acid, trimellitic anhydride to name a few of the common starting materials. Different alcohols and different acids will lead to plasticisers exhibiting different degrees of permanence, performance and compatibility with PVC.
NUMEROUS APPLICATIONS & EXTENSIVE TESTING
Today, over 85 percent of all plasticisers consumed in Europe are used in flexible PVC applications. They give PVC the flexibility and elasticity needed for many different applications, particularly in construction (sheathing for electric cables, roofing membranes, flooring and wall coverings), in the automobile industry (trim, cables, under body sealants), furniture and artificial leather goods. Plasticisers are major functional substances that transform the physical properties of PVC and other polymers creating a whole new world of flexible and durable applications.
Because plasticisers (US: plasticizers) are so widely used, they have undergone extensive testing for possible health and environmental effects and are amongst the most widely researched of all chemical substances. In Europe, the safe use of plasticisers is enabled by REACH, the most comprehensive product safety regulation anywhere in the world.
EUROPEAN & GLOBAL MARKET
Globally, 7.5 million tonnes of plasticisers (US: plasticizers) are consumed every year, of which European consumption accounts for over 1.35 million tonnes. Ortho-phthalates, due to their high degree of compatibility with PVC, are the most widely consumed plasticisers. As can be seen from these figures, major plasticisers are high volume commodity chemicals, which take decades and billions of Euros to achieve full commercial development.
In Europe, ortho-phthalates – also know simply as phthalates (Low Molecular Weight – LMW – and High Molecular Weight – HMW) – make up for the majority of the plasticisers market followed by aliphatics and cyclohexanoates. However, LMW phthalates accounts for almost 40 percent of the global consumption because it is widely produced and used in China, India, and other parts of Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America. The graphs below show this distribution in the European market as a whole and specifically in Western Europe.
| Category | Name | Acronym | Cas | EC | Produced by members | Applications | Classification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trimellitate | Tris-2-ethylhexyl trimellitate | TOTM | 3319-31-1 | 222-020-0 | Yes | Cables and wires, Film and sheet, Medical Applications | Not class. |
| Terephthalate | Dioctyl terephthalate | DOTP/DEHT/DEHTP | 6422-86-2 | 229-176-9 | Yes | Flooring, Food packaging - Cling Wrap, Toys, Medical Applications | Not class. |
| Terephthalate | Diisobutyl terephthalate | DBT | 1962-75-0 | 217-803-9 | No | Adhesives & Sealants | Not class. |
| Sulfonamide | N-butyl benzene sulfonamide | BBSA | 3622-84-2 | 222-823-6 | Yes | Used in nylon (or polyamide) 11 and 12 for automotive applications and tubes, hoses, pipes | Not class. |
| Succinate | Diethylsuccinate | DES | 123-25-1 | 204-612-0 | Yes | Cosmetics (eg as solvent for nail polish) | Not class. |
| Succinate | Dimethylsuccinate | DMS | 106-65-0 | 203-419-9 | Yes | Coatings | Not class. |
| Sebacates | Di-isodecyl sebacate | DIDS | 28473-19-0 | 249-047-0 | Yes | Not class. | |
| Sebacates | Di-2-ethylhexyl sebacate | DOS | 122-62-3 | 204-558-8 | Yes | Not class. | |
| Sebacates | Dibutyl sebacate | DBS | 109-43-3 | 203-672-5 | Yes | Pharmaceutical and food contact approved, used in coatings (for pills, etc) | Not class. |
| Sebacates | Dimethyl sebacate | DMS | 106-79-6 | 203-431-4 | No | Adhesives & Sealants | Not class. |
| Polymeric | Hexanedioic acid, polymer with 2,2-dimethyl-1,3-propanediol and 1,2-propanediol, isononyl ester | 208945-13-5 | Yes | Film and sheet, Food packaging - Cling Wrap | Not class. | ||
| Polymeric | Hexanedioic acid, polymer with 1,2-propanediol, octyl ester | 82904-80-1 | Yes | Film and sheet, Food packaging - Cling Wrap | Not class. | ||
| Polymeric | Hexanedioic acid, polymer with 1,2-propanediol, acetate | 55799-38-7 | Yes | Film and sheet, Food packaging - Cling Wrap | Not class. | ||
| Phosphate ester | Tris(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate | 78-42-2 | 201-116-6 | Yes | Not class. | ||
| Phosphate ester | 2-ethylhexyl diphenyl phosphate | 1241-94-7 | 214-987-2 | Yes | Not class. | ||
| Phosphate ester | Triphenyl phosphate | TPP | 115-86-6 | 204-112-2 | Yes | Flooring, Wall coverings | Not class. |
| Other ester | 2,2,4-trimethyl-1,3 pentanediol di-isobutyrate | TXIB | 6846-50-0 | 229-934-9 | No | Flooring, Adhesives & Sealants, Toys | Not class. |
| Other ester | Pentaerythritol ester of valeric acid | PETV | 15834-04-5 | 239-937-7 | Yes | Flooring, Automotive , Toys | Not class. |
| Other ester | Alkylsulphonic acid ester with phenol | ASE | 91082-17-6 | 293-728-5 | Yes | Adhesives & Sealants, Food packaging - Cling Wrap, Toys | Not class. |
| Other ester | 2,2'-ethylenedioxydiethyl-bis-(2-ethylhexanoate) | 94-28-0 | 202-319-2 | No | Film and sheet | Not class. | |
| Ortho-phthalate | Di-C16-18 alkyl phthalate | 90193-76-3 | 290-580-3 | No | Cables and wires | Not class. | |
| Ortho-phthalate | Benzyl C7-9-branched and linear alkyl phthalate | 68515-40-2 | 271-082-5 | No | Flooring, Adhesives & Sealants | Not class. | |
| Ortho-phthalate | Diisotridecyl phthalate | DTDP | 68515-47-9 | 271-089-3 | Yes | Cables and wires, Automotive | Not class. |
| Ortho-phthalate | Diisoundecyl phthalate | DIUP | 85507-79-5 | 287-401-6 | Yes | Cladding and Roofing, Cables and wires, Automotive | Not class. |
| Ortho-phthalate | Di(2-propyl heptyl) phthalate | DPHP | 53306-54-0 | 258-469-4 | Yes | Flooring, Wall coverings, Cladding and Roofing, Cables and wires, Film and sheet, Automotive , Tubes & Hoses, Coated Fabrics | Not class. |
| Ortho-phthalate | Diisodecyl phthalate | DIDP | 68515-49-1 | 271-091-4 | Yes | Flooring, Cladding and Roofing, Cables and wires, Film and sheet, Automotive , Tubes & Hoses, Coated Fabrics, Inks and waxes | Not class. |
| (second DINP line) | 68515-48-0 | 271-090-9 | Yes | ||||
| Ortho-phthalate | Diisononyl phthalate | DINP | 28553-12-0 | 249-079-5 | Yes | Flooring, Wall coverings, Cladding and Roofing, Cables and wires, Film and sheet, Automotive , Tubes & Hoses, Coated Fabrics, Inks and waxes | Not class. |
| Ortho-phthalate | Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate | DEHP | 117-81-7 | 204-211-0 | Yes | Repr. 1B | |
| Ortho-phthalate | Diisooctyl phthalate | DIOP | 27554-26-3 | 248-523-5 | No | Not class. | |
| Ortho-phthalate | Di-n-octyl phthalate | DNOP | 117-84-0 | 204-214-7 | No | Not class. | |
| Ortho-phthalate | Diisoheptyl phthalate | DIHP | 71888-89-6 | 276-158-1 | No | Repr. 1B | |
| Ortho-phthalate | Dicyclohexyl phthalate | DCHP | 84-61-7 | 201-545-9 | No | Flooring, Toys | Repr. 1B |
| Ortho-phthalate | Diisohexyl phthalate | DHP | 146-50-9 | 271-093-5 | No | Repr. 1B | |
| Ortho-phthalate | Di-n-hexyl phthalate | DNHP | 84-75-3 | 201-559-5 | No | Repr. 1B | |
| Ortho-phthalate | Di-n-pentyl phthalate | DNPP | 131-18-0 | 205-017-9 | No | Repr. 1B | |
| Ortho-phthalate | Benzyl butyl phthalate | BBP | 85-68-7 | 201‐622‐7 | No | Flooring | Repr. 1B |
| Ortho-phthalate | Diisobutyl phthalate | DIBP | 84-69-5 | 201-553-2 | No | Automotive , Adhesives & Sealants, Inks and waxes | Repr. 1B |
| Ortho-phthalate | Di-n-butyl phthalate | DBP | 84-74-2 | 201-557-4 | Yes | Flooring, Automotive , Inks and waxes | Repr. 1B |
| Ortho-phthalate | Di-n-propyl phthalate | 131-16-8 | 205-015-8 | No | Not class. | ||
| Ortho-phthalate | Diethyl phthalate | DEP | 84-66-2 | 201-550-6 | Yes | Adhesives | Not class. |
| Ortho-phthalate | Dimethyl phthalate | DMP | 131-11-3 | 205-011-6 | Yes | Adhesives | Not class. |
| Epoxy ester | Epoxidised soybean oil | ESBO | 8013-07-8 | 232-391-0 | Yes | Automotive , Food packaging - Cling Wrap | Not class. |
| Epoxy ester | Epoxidised linseed oil | ELO | 8016-11-3 | 232-401-3 | No | Not class. | |
| Cyclohexanoate | Di-isononyl cyclohexane dicarboxylate | DINCH | 166412-78-8 | 431-890-2 | Yes | Flooring, Wall coverings, Film and sheet, Automotive , Adhesives & Sealants, Tubes & Hoses, Coated Fabrics, Food packaging - Cling Wrap, Toys, Medical Applications | Not class. |
| Citrate | Acetyl tributyl citrate | ATBC | 77-90-7 | 201-067-0 | Yes | Food packaging - Cling Wrap, Toys, Medical Applications | Not class. |
| Citrate | Tributyl citrate | TBC | 77-94-1 | 201-071-2 | Yes | Biobased plasticizer used in paints, coatings and inks | Not class. |
| Citrate | Triethyl citrate | TEC | 77-93-0 | 201-070-7 | Yes | Not class. | |
| Benzoate | Tri-ethylene glycol dibenzoate | 51747-38-7 | Yes | Not class. | |||
| Benzoate | Isodecyl benzoate | IDB | 131298-44-7 | 421-090-1 | Yes | Flooring, Wall coverings, Automotive , Adhesives & Sealants, Inks and waxes | Not class. |
| Benzoate | Isononyl benzoate | INB | 670241-72-2 | 447-010-5 | Yes | Flooring, film and sheet | Not class. |
| Benzoate | Dipropylene glycol dibenzoate | 27138-31-4 | 248-258-5 | Yes | Flooring | Not class. | |
| Benzoate | Diethylene glycol dibenzoate | 120-55-8 | 204-407-6 | Yes | Flooring | Not class. | |
| Benzoate | Neopentylglycol dibenzoate | 4196-89-8 | 224-081-9 | Yes | Not class. | ||
| Azelate | Diisodecyl azelate | DIDA | 28472-97-1 | 249-044-4 | No | Automotive , Adhesives & Sealants | Not class. |
| Adipate | Bis[2-(2-butoxyethoxy)ethyl]adipate | DBEEA | 141-17-3 | 205-465-5 | Yes | Not class. | |
| Adipate | Di-(2-butoxyethyl)adipate | DBEA | 141-18-4 | 205-466-0 | Yes | Not class. | |
| Adipate | Di-n-butyl adipate | DBA | 105-99-7 | 203-350-4 | Yes | Not class. | |
| Adipate | Ditridecyl adipate | DTDA | 16958-92-2 | 241-029-0 | No | Not class. | |
| Adipate | Diisodecyl adipate | DIDA | 27178-16-1 | 248-299-9 | Yes | Not class. | |
| Adipate | Diisononyl adipate | DINA | 33703-08-1 | 291-426-8 | Yes | Adhesives & Sealants, Food packaging - Cling Wrap | Not class. |
| Adipate | Di-2-ethylhexyl adipate | DEHA | 103-23-1 | 203-090-1 | Yes | Flooring, Wall coverings, Cladding and Roofing, Film and sheet, Automotive , Tubes & Hoses, Coated Fabrics, Inks and waxes, Food packaging - Cling Wrap, Toys | Not class. |
| Adipate | Benzyl 2-ethylhexyl adipate | BOA | 905-983-8 | Yes | Not class. | ||
| Adipate | Diisobutyl adipate | DIBA | 141-04-8 | 205-450-3 | Yes | Not class. | |
| Acetate | Glyceryl triacetate | 102-76-1 | 203-051-9 | Yes | Not class. |