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EXPOSURE TO CHEMICAL ADDITIVES FROM POLYVINYL CHLORIDE POLYMER EXTRUSION PROCESSING
Citation:
Lamb, C. EXPOSURE TO CHEMICAL ADDITIVES FROM POLYVINYL CHLORIDE POLYMER EXTRUSION PROCESSING. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/2-89/063.
Description:
This report presents a model to predict worker inhalation exposure due to off-gassing of additives during polyvinyl chloride (PVC) extrusion processing. ata on off-gassing of additives were reviewed in the literature, the off-gassing at normal PVC processing temperatures was studied in the laboratory, process variables were estimated from an equipment manufacturer survey, and worker activities and possible exposure sources were observed in an industrial survey.The purpose of this study was to develop a theoretical model to predict worker inhalation exposure to additives used during PVC extrusion processing. A model to estimate the generation rate of the additive from the polymer extrudate was derived from the mass transport equations governing diffusion. The mass flow rate, initial additive volatile weight fraction, off-gassing time, diffusivity, and slab thickness are required to determine the generation rate from the model.