DuPont™ Elvaloy ®

POLYMER MODIFIER
FOR RIGID PVC COMPOUNDS

DuPont offers a variety of unique
polymer systems designed to
enhance the performance of rigid
PVC compounds and products.
DuPont™ Elvaloy® polymer modifiers
are ethylene, vinyl acetate, carbon
monoxide (E/VA/CO) and ethylene,
n-butyl acrylate, carbon monoxide
(E/nBA/CO) terpolymers, which are
miscible or partially miscible in PVC.
Suggested Applications
• PVC window profiles
• Exterior PVC siding
• Railing
• Injection molded parts
DuPont™ Elvaloy® — Rigid PVC Modifiers
Impact Performance Increases
with Elvaloy® Modifiers
When incorporated into rigid PVC compounds,
Elvaloy® provides good dart drop impact
performance which can be made weatherable.
Although effective when used as the primary
impact modifier, it can be used in combination
with other impact modifiers to balance
viscosity, die swell and cost. Elvaloy® enables
customers to make robust PVC products that
can compete with more expensive polymers.
Reduce your Rigid PVC Cost with
Alternative Impact Modifiers Impact strength was measured on samples
formulated with a standard acrylic impact
Using Elvaloy® impact modifiers, a large
modifier, Elvaloy® 4924, and Elvaloy® HP661 at
PVC user can expect at least 3% total
4 phr* level and extruded at 20–25 RPM
materials reduction by increased filler and
and 190°C.
reduced additives plus savings from process
improvements. Table 1 shows the toughness achieved when
increasing the calcium carbonate filler level
Formulation Cost Optimization from 15 to 20 and 25 phr in a typical rigid PVC
Higher Filler Loading formulation (see Formulation 1, back page).
One well-known option when trying to lower
Better Finish and Smoother Surface
rigid PVC costs, is to increase the filler loading
The same PVC samples as described in section
in the formulation. However, with conventional
above (see formulation 1, back page), were
impact modifiers, you may face difficulties
evaluated for undispersed filler particles,
maintaining both acceptable impact strength
observed as white specks. The improved
and good surface properties.
compatibility offered with Elvaloy® impact
Maintain Ductile Impact Strength modifiers is clearly demonstrated in Figure 1
With Elvaloy® 4924 and Elvaloy® HP661, and Figure 2.
unlike traditional acrylic impact modifiers,
In addition, thanks to a better compatibility
you can increase filler loading in your rigid
between the filler and the polymer matrix
PVC compound while maintaining ductile
when using Elvaloy® impact modifiers, better
strength. This provides formulators with new
surface appearance can be achieved as shown
opportunities for cost reduction.
in Figure 3.
* = parts per hundred resin based on 100 parts of PVC
Table1: Impact strength at increased filler loading
Filler Level 15 phr 20 phr 25 phr
Impact Modifier Acrylic Acrylic Elvaloy® 4924 Acrylic Elvaloy® HP661
Failure mode* ductile brittle ductile brittle ductile
$/lb compound $0.597 — $0.584 — $0.580
% Savings versus Acrylic Control Control — 2% — 3%
* All samples were tested until either brittle failure or the capacity of the test was exceeded at 264 in-lbf .
** Estimates based on typical ingredient costs
Figure 1: Comparison of impact modifier Figure 2: Effect of impact modifiers Figure 3: Effect of impact modifiers
effect on filler dispersion on filler dispersion on surface smoothness

15 phr* 20 phr* 25 phr*

Good 5.0
4.5
4.0
3.5
3.0
Dispersion

2.5
2.0
1.5
1.0
0.5
None 0
Acrylic Acrylic Elvaloy® 4924 Acrylic Elvaloy® HP661 Acrylic Impact Modifier Elvaloy® HP661 Acrylic Impact Modifier Elvaloy® HP661

*phr = parts of impact modifier effect on filler dispersion

Elvaloy® technology provides toughness and processing benefits enabling higher throughput and cost optimization for your rigid PVC system

Resist Black Speck Formation Table 2: Thermal degradation during PVC processing at 25 RPM
During these high filler loading trials (see
Filler Loading 15 phr 20 phr 25 phr
Formulation 1, back page), when using the
standard acrylic impact modifiers, black specks Impact Modifier Acrylic Acrylic Elvaloy® 4924 Acrylic Elvaloy® HP661
were observed within only twenty minutes Black Speck* 1.0 1.5 1.0 3.5 1.5
of extrusion processing. By comparison, the
*1 = 0 degradation; 5 = severe degradation
samples modified with DuPont™ Elvaloy®
impact modifiers showed no black specks even
after three hours of extrusion. Table 3: Failure Mode (Drop Dart Impact Test*)

Lower Stabilizer Content Process Temperature Acrylic Elvaloy® 4924 Elvaloy® HP661

Due to the high temperatures used in extrusion 180°C ductile ductile ductile
processing of rigid PVC compounds, stabilizers
170°C brittle ductile ductile
must be added to the formulations to prevent
thermal degradation. 160°C brittle brittle ductile

Thanks to their unique nature, Elvaloy® impact * All samples were tested until either brittle failure or the capacity of the test was exceeded at 264 lbf .

modifiers also act as processing aids, enabling

reductions in processing temperatures of up Table 4: Die Pressure Measurements
to 20°C. Extruding at lower temperatures can Impact Modifier Acrylic Chlorinated PE Elvaloy® 4924 Elvaloy® HP661
allow formulators to reduce stabilizer content Die Pressure (psi) 468 595 464 431
in their PVC compounds, which in turn reduces
overall system costs.

Elvaloy® technology provides potential for lower Lower Processing Temperature temperature also offers improvements in the
processing temperatures, enabling formulation In addition to offering toughness improvement, dimensional stability and handling of your
cost reduction due to lower stabilizer content. impact modifiers often have an effect on extruded PVC product.
extrusion conditions, necessitating the use of
Processing Cost Optimization Trials were run to evaluate the processing
higher process temperatures.
window for Elvaloy® impact modifiers in
Elvaloy technology offers excellent toughness
®

When using Elvaloy® HP661 in your rigid PVC rigid PVC extrusion. Impact strength was
as well as opportunities to optimize your
formulation, you can lower your processing measured on samples formulated according to
rigid PVC processing conditions such as
temperatures up to 20°C and maintain ductile Formulation 2 after processing at 180°C, 170°C
lower processing temperature or increased
impact strength. This provides opportunities and 160°C. The results (see Table 3) clearly
throughput.
to optimize your processing costs with show that Elvaloy® is a suitable replacement
energy savings, shorter cooling times, and for acrylic impact modifiers, and also provides
reduced stabilizer content. Processing at lower opportunities for cost reduction.
 DuPont™ Elvaloy® — Rigid PVC Modifiers

Formulation 1: Formulation 2:
Formulations for filler loading trials* Formulations for processing optimization trials*

PVC 100 PVC 100

Impact Modifier 4 Impact Modifier 6

Tin Stabilizer 1 Tin Stabilizer 1.3

Acrylic Process Aid 1 Acrylic Process Aid 1

Increased Throughput Calcium Stearate 0.8 Calcium Stearate 0.6

Increasing throughput while maintaining Paraffin Wax 1.2 Paraffin Wax 1.2
performance is another approach to reducing
Oxidized Polyethylene 0.2 Glycerol Monostearate 0.4
processing costs.
Calcium Carbonate 15 Oxidized Polyethylene 0.2
In the same processing trials as described
above (see Formulation 2), all the impact Titanium Dioxide 1 Calcium Carbonate 2

modifiers showed ductile failure at 180°C; Titanium Dioxide 9

* Units = phr (parts per hundred resin based on 100 parts of PVC)
however, lower die pressure was recorded
when using Elvaloy®. This indicates that with * Units = phr (parts per hundred resin based on 100 parts of PVC)
Elvaloy® HP661 there is a potential for higher
throughput, while maintaining ductile impact
strength.

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The data listed here fall within the normal range of properties, but they should not be used
to establish specification limits nor used alone as the basis of design. The DuPont Company
assumes no obligations or liability for any advice furnished or for any results obtained with
respect to this information. All such advice is given and accepted at the buyer’s risk. The
disclosure of information herein is not a license to operate under, or a recommendation to
infringe, any patent of DuPont or others. DuPont warrants that the use or sale of any material
that is described herein and is offered for sale by DuPont does not infringe any patent
covering the material itself, but does not warrant against infringement by reason of the use
thereof in combination with other materials or in the operation of any process.
CAUTION: Do not use in medical applications involving permanent implantation in the human
body. For other medical applications, see “DuPont Medical Caution Statement,” H-50102.
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The miracles of science™, and Elvaloy® are registered trademarks or trademarks
of DuPont or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
K-16359-1 (10/09) Printed in the U.S.A.