Abstract: In this article di(2ethylhexyl)1,2cyclohexane dicarboxylate (DEHCH) was synthesized by the reaction of hexahydrophthalic anhydride (HHPA) with isooctanol using methanesulfonic acid as a catalyst. The optimal reaction scheme was as follows: n(isooctanol)∶n(HHPA) was 2.6∶1.0, catalyst amount was 0.25 % of the mass of HHPA, reaction temperature was 170 ℃, and reaction time was 2 h. The esterification yield was 97.89 %. In addition, the molecular structure of DEHCH was characterized by IR, 1HNMR, and MS. And the mechanical properties of PVC plasticized by DEHCH were similar to those of PVC plasticized by DEHP. The synthesized DEHCH could be used as an alternative for phthalates.

Key words: di(2ethylhexyl)1, 2cyclohexane dicarboxylate, methanesulfonic acid, esterification, plasticizer