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Plasticizers

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Polymers and Polymeric Composites: A Reference Series

Abstract

A plasticizer is a substance which is incorporated into a material to increase its flexibility, workability, and distensibility (Rochow and Rochow 1976). The principal effect of its addition is the change on the performance characteristics of the plasticized product which make possible the use of polymers in applications where the previous three characteristics are required. Plasticizers are often colorless and odorless liquids, mainly esters, used in mixtures in a wide interval of proportions so they are not considered additives. This entry presents an overview about plasticizers and plasticized products, including plasticization phenomena, properties, production processes, classification, toxicology, and tendencies.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Ingeniería Química y Ambiental, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia

    Paulo César Narvaéz Rincón & Oscar Yesid Suárez Palacios

Authors
  1. Paulo César Narvaéz Rincón
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  2. Oscar Yesid Suárez Palacios
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Paulo César Narvaéz Rincón .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Indian Institute of Technology-Roorkee, Saharanpur, India

    Sanjay Palsule

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Narvaéz Rincón, P., Suárez Palacios, O. (2015). Plasticizers. In: Palsule, S. (eds) Polymers and Polymeric Composites: A Reference Series. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-37179-0_73-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-37179-0_73-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-37179-0

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Chemistry and Mat. ScienceReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Chemistry, Materials and Physics

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