Ethylene brassylate as a biobased plasticizer for poly(lactic acid): Evaluation of mechanical, thermal, and biodegradation properties
[EN] Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is a bio-based polymer with high potential; however, its inherent brittleness restricts its practical applications. This work evaluates ethylene brassylate (EB), a macrocyclic diester of natural origin, as a plasticizer for PLA at 5¿20 wt%. Thermal analysis confirmed a p...
| Autores: | , , , , , |
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| Tipo de recurso: | artículo |
| Fecha de publicación: | 2025 |
| País: | España |
| Institución: | Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) |
| Repositorio: | RiuNet. Repositorio Institucional de la Universitat Politécnica de Valéncia |
| Idioma: | inglés |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:riunet.upv.es:10251/231837 |
| Acceso en línea: | https://riunet.upv.es/handle/10251/231837 |
| Access Level: | acceso abierto |
| Palabra clave: | Polylactide Plasticizer Ethylene brassylate Toughness Biodegradation 09.- Desarrollar infraestructuras resilientes, promover la industrialización inclusiva y sostenible, y fomentar la innovación 11.- Conseguir que las ciudades y los asentamientos humanos sean inclusivos, seguros, resilientes y sostenibles 13.- Tomar medidas urgentes para combatir el cambio climático y sus efectos |
| Sumario: | [EN] Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is a bio-based polymer with high potential; however, its inherent brittleness restricts its practical applications. This work evaluates ethylene brassylate (EB), a macrocyclic diester of natural origin, as a plasticizer for PLA at 5¿20 wt%. Thermal analysis confirmed a plasticizing effect, with the glass transition temperature decreasing from 59.9 °C in neat PLA to 38.0 °C in PLA-20 EB. Mechanical tests showed that 20 wt% EB increased elongation at break from 10 % (neat PLA) to over 460 % and improved impact resistance by ~70 %. Furthermore, moisture resistance was preserved, and microscopy confirmed good miscibility with no phase separation. Under composting, degradation occurs more rapidly in proportion to EB content, reaching ~90 % mass loss after four weeks. Migration tests revealed values below 40 mg kg¿1 for PLA-EB < 10 wt% EB, whereas PLA-15 EB reached the regulatory limit. EB is therefore an efficient bio-based plasticizer for PLA, offering enhanced ductility, toughness, and biodegradation, with promising applications in sustainable packaging, especially for refrigerated and cold-chain storage. |
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