Plastisols are compounds made with PVC resin, a plasticiser replacing Dioctyl Phthalate which provides flexibility and durability, and other additives such as calcium carbonate, epoxidised oil, stabilisers, colourants, etcetera.

Also known as PVC pastes, plastisols maintain a liquid state with visco-elastic properties when at room temperature. However, when subjected to temperatures above 43ºC, plastisol viscosity increases and, when reaching temperatures of over 160ºC, it can change from a liquid to a solid state after cooling as a result of process known as gelation.

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Thixotropy is a property of some products which change their viscosity and become more fluid when subject to constant shear force, e.g., in the mixing stage. The longer the fluid is under shear stress, the less its viscosity.

In normal conditions, a thixotropic fluid is highly viscous (equilibrium viscosity) but becomes liquid or more fluid when subject to shear force. This type of product takes certain time to reach its equilibrium viscosity when an instantaneous change in shear rate occurs. For example, when a mixer’s shear work is stopped or slowed down, the fluid tends to reach equilibrium viscosity, which is always higher than its viscosity when it is being mixed. Read more