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Plasticizers are chemicals added to a polymer to make it softer and more flexible, and to improve its flow characteristics during forming. The plasticizer works by reducing the glass transition temperature to below room temperature. Whereas the polymer is hard and brittle below Tg, it is soft and tough above it. Addition of a plasticizer to polyvinylchloride (PVC) is a good example; depending on the proportion of plasticizer in the mix, PVC can be obtained in a range of properties, from rigid and brittle to flexible and rubbery. The common plasticizer in PVC is dioctyl phthalate, a phthalate ester.