AbstractPlasticizers for poly(vinyl chloride) may be organized into eight chemical families and by seven key performance criteria. Cost‐effective general‐purpose phthalates provide a base line for comparing all other plasticizers. The wide range of performance characteristics associated with various phthalate isomers substantiates the large proportion of phthalate esters that are utilized as plasticizers. This article summarizes plasticizer structural/performance relationships using quantitative comparisons of cost, plasticizing efficiency, plastisol solvation characteristics, dryblending, volatility, and low temperature performance properties in PVC. Some generalizations are also made concerning structural effects of the alcohol isomers used in the syntheses of the various types of plasticizer est