What is the principle of action of rubber plasticisers?

The ability of plasticisers to enhance the plasticity of polymeric materials is largely due to their unique mechanism of action. When plasticiser molecules are added to a polymer, they are inserted between the polymer molecular chains and effectively enhance the plasticity of the polymer by weakening the stresses between the polymer molecular chains, increasing the mobility of the molecular chains and decreasing their crystallinity. The interaction forces between plasticiser molecules and between plasticiser and polymer molecules play a crucial role in the plasticising process. Only when these interaction forces reach an equilibrium state can the desired plasticising effect be achieved, while avoiding the occurrence of anti-plasticising phenomena. These interaction forces mainly include van der Waals force and hydrogen bonding, etc., which together affect the dispersion state of the plasticiser in the polymer material and the plasticising effect.