Preparation and characterization of bio-based PLA/PBAT and cinnamon essential oil polymer fibers and life-cycle assessment from hydrolytic degradation

Zormy Nacary Correa-Pacheco, Jaime Daniel Black-Solís, Pedro Ortega-Gudiño, Marcos Antonio Sabino-Gutiérrez, José Jesús Benítez-Jiménez, Alfonso Barajas-Cervantes, Silvia Bautista-Baños, Liliana Beyalith Hurtado-Colmenares

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42 Scopus citations

Abstract

Nowadays, the need to reduce the dependence on fuel products and to achieve a sustainable development is of special importance due to environmental concerns. Therefore, new alternatives must be sought. In this work, extruded fibers from poly (lactic acid) (PLA) and poly (butylenes adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) added with cinnamon essential oil (CEO) were prepared and characterized, and the hydrolytic degradation was assessed. A two-phase system was observed with spherical particles of PBAT embedded in the PLA matrix. The thermal analysis showed partial miscibility between PLA and PBAT. Mechanically, Young's modulus decreased and the elongation at break increased with the incorporation of PBAT and CEO into the blends. The variation in weight loss for the fibers was below 5% during the period of hydrolytic degradation studied with the most important changes at 37 °C and pH 8.50. From microscopy, the formation of cracks in the fiber surface was evidenced, especially for PLA fibers in alkaline medium at 37 °C. This study shows the importance of the variables that influence the performance of polyester-cinnamon essential oil-based fibers in agro-industrial applications for horticultural product preservation.

Original languageEnglish
Article number38
JournalPolymers
Volume12
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Jan 2020

Keywords

  • Bio-based fibers
  • Cinnamon essential oil
  • Differential scanning calorimetry
  • Hydrolytic degradation
  • Mechanical properties

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