Plasticisers - essential to our everyday lives
A plasticiser is a substance which when added to a material, usually a plastic, makes it flexible, resilient and easier to handle. Early examples of plasticisers include water to soften clay and oils to plasticise pitch for waterproofing ancient boats. Today, modern plasticisers are manmade organic chemicals; esters, such as adipates and phthalates.
Without plasticisers, unique PVC (polyvinyl chloride, a widely used and versatile plastic) products such as electrical cables, synthetic leather and many life-saving medical devices, would not exist today.
Plasticisers are not just additives (like pigments or fillers), they are major components that determine the physical properties (e.g., degree of flexibility, resistance to heat, durability) of polymer products.