Polyvinyl chloride blends having improved physical properties including

Abstract

Polyvinyl chloride-acrylate copolymers are plasticized with plasticizers to produce a composition having low hardness values. For example, Shore A values of 55 or less can be readily achieved. Such low values are often achieved by utilizing low amounts, for example less than 100 parts by weight, of the plasticizer for every 100 parts by weight of the PVC-acrylate copolymer. Low Shore A hardness values are also aided by the use of high amounts of acrylate units in the copolymer, that is amounts of at least 45 percent by weight based upon the total weight of the copolymer. The copolymer is made from a vinyl constituent which is a vinyl chloride monomer with an optional vinyl component comonomer and one or more acrylate monomers having the formula ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 is an aliphatic, an aromatic, or combinations thereof, having from 1 to 18 carbon atoms, or a halogen derivative thereof, or hydrogen, and R.sup.2 is an aliphatic, an aromatic, an alkyl hydroxyl, or combinations thereof, having from 1 to 18 carbon atoms, or a halogen derivative thereof; or a hydrocarbyl ether such as an alkoxyalkyl, a phenoxyaryl, a phenoxyalkyl, or combinations thereof, having from 2 to 1,000 carbon atoms, or a substituted halogen, oxygen, sulfur, or nitrogen derivative thereof. In another embodiment, the polyvinyl chloride-acrylate copolymers are blended with low temperature property improving polymers which are non-liquid, high molecular weight polymers.