The use of phthalates in plasticized poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) formulations has been questioned by their
potential toxicity and high migration to foodstuff. Phthalates can be replaced by other harmless and
environmentally friendly plasticizers, such as epoxidized soybean oil (ESBO), which has been also proved
an efficient stabilizer for PVC helping to prevent degradation during processing. Formulations based on
PVC with different amounts of ESBO (from 30 to 50 wt%) were fully characterized showing good
compatibility and a clear increase in thermal stability. An evaluation of the use of ESBO for PVC stabilization
in commercial lids was carried out by using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). ESBO was
detected in all materials and their thermal stability was highly dependent on the plasticizer concentration.
Most of them showed a significant increase in thermal degradation temperatures, permitting
their use in food processing at high temperatures without risk of degradation