When it is added in poly(vinyl chloride)(PVC)

lignin has the potential to improve the thermal stability of PVC due to its sterically hindered phenol structure.However the thermal stability of PVC-lignin blends is practically worse than that of PVC due to the poor miscibility between lignin and PVC.A novel method was adopted to improve the miscibility between lignin particles and PVC matrix in PVC-lignin blends.A copolyacrylate

poly(ethyl acrylate-co-acrylic acid)was prepared.Lignin was treated with the copolyacrylate

and blended with PVC.The results showed that the thermal stability of PVC-lignin blends was well improved after lignin was treated with the copolyacrylate.The temperature of onset decomposition was about 13℃ higher than that of control PVC and the temperature of rapidest decomposition was about 27℃ higher than that of control PVC.Microscopic morphology analysis confirmed that the miscibility between lignin and PVC matrix was well improved.The combination between hydroxyl of lignin and carboxyl of EA-AA copolymer and the smaller lignin particles in the blend weakened the dehydration of lignin.Therefore

the acceleration of lignin's dehydration on autocatalytic dehydrochlorination of PVC was retarded and the inhibition of lignin's sterically hindered phenol structure on the autocatalytic dehydrochlorination of PVC was strengthened.