International Journal of Engineering and Technology

The effect of mixing by hand and mixing by mechanical mixer on limiting oxygen index, thermal stability and DSC of plasticised PVC has been studied in this article. LOI Stanton Redcroft FTA flammability unit, Stabilimetr PVC 03, and DSC823e were used for measuring limiting oxygen index and thermal stability of plasticised PVC. The experimental results showed that limiting oxygen index and thermal stability of plasticised PVC mixing by hand higher than mixing by mechanical mixer, because there is an irregular distribution of chlorine, carbon and oxygen elements inside the PVC structure, where there is a conglomeration of these elements at some points in case of mixing by hand and more homogeneous in case on mixing by mechanical mixer, as illustrated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images and the energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopic micro-analyzer (EDS). Therefore, this irregular distribution will give inaccurate results for limiting oxygen index of plasticised PVC.