Organoclay As a Potential Eco-friendly Substitute Of Chalk In The Manufacturing Of The PVC Based Electric Cable

The aim of this work was to study the effects of an organoclay on the properties of a polyvinyl chloride polymer and to compare the obtained results to polyvinyl chloride/chalk counterpart in order to replace the no eco-friendly and no-economic chalk by the cheap and eco-friendly organoclay in the electric cable polyvinyl chloride manufacturing. The obtained nanocomposites were prepared by dry blending followed by extrusion. The x-ray diffraction analysis evidenced an intercalation of the polyvinyl chloride chains between organoclay platelets. The thermal stability (Beilstein test) of the nanocomposite was greatly improved and thermgravimetric analysis (TGA) showed that the formulation containing 1 wt % of organoclay is the more thermally stable up to 240 °C. Differential scanning analysis showed that the glass transition temperature of the nanocomposite is higher than the neat polyvinyl chloride. A rheological analysis revealed that the addition of organoclay had not damaged the processability of the nanocomposite. Scanning electronic microscopy analysis revealed a uniform dispersion of the organoclay particles in the polyvinyl chloride matrix. The PVC based organoclay exhibits properties better than PVC based chalk used in the industry. So, the eco-friendly organoclay can be a good alternative to the expensive and irritating chalk. Highlights 1% organoclay improves PVC strength, ductility, and thermal stability. XRD shows intercalation at 1% organoclay, enhancing composite structure. DSC confirms higher Tg for 1% organoclay due to chain confinement. Organoclay offers better processability and lower energy use than chalk. SEM reveals uniform dispersion only at low organoclay loading.