Abstract
The publication describes a process combining the extraction of plant material and impregnation of biodegradable polymers (polylactide (PLA) and polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA)). As raw plant materials for making extracts, Cistus and green walnut husk were selected due to their high content of active phytochemicals, including antioxidants. The extracts used to impregnate polymers contained valuable polyphenolic compounds, as confirmed by FTIR and UV–Vis spectroscopy. After impregnation, the polymer samples showed greater thermal stability, determined by the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) method. In addition, despite the presence of natural antibacterial and antifungal substances in the extracts, the polyester samples remained biodegradable. The manuscript also describes the effect of UV aging on the change of surface free energy and the color of polymers. UV aging has been selected for testing due to the high susceptibility of plant compounds to this degrading factor. The combination of the extraction of plant material and polymer impregnation in one process proved to be an effective and functional method, as both the obtained plant extracts and impregnated polymers showed the expected properties.
Highlights
Polyphenols are phytochemical compounds that occur mainly in vegetables, fruits, coffee, tea, chocolates, legumes, cereals and beverages
Biopolymer 4043D PLA was obtained from Nature WorksTM (Minnetonka, MN, USA) and had the Biopolymer 4043D PLA was obtained from Nature WorksTM (Minnetonka, MN, USA) and had the following properties: Tg = 55–60 ◦ C, Tm = 145–160 ◦ C, and Melt Flow Index (MFI) = 6 g/10 min
The tests were started by confirming the presence of active phytochemicals in solutions prepared for impregnation, as well as determining the antioxidant activity and the ability to reduce transition metal ions of Cistus and walnut husk extracts
Summary
Polyphenols are phytochemical compounds that occur mainly in vegetables, fruits, coffee, tea, chocolates, legumes, cereals and beverages. These compounds are plant secondary metabolites and their main function is as antioxidants [1,2]. The literature describes the use of plant phenolic compounds as natural stabilizers in polymers. Noteworthy is the combination of environmentally friendly, biodegradable polymers and plant polyphenols [11]. This combination allows the formation of a fully natural polymeric material, which does not pollute the environment
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