Physicochemical and Thermal Properties of Acrylated Palm Olein as a Promising Biopolymer

Abstract

The utilisation of palm oil-based polymers as biomaterials has received considerable interest to support further expansion in the biomedical field as they pose the potential capability of competing with synthetic polymers per their physicochemical, thermal, and crystallinity properties. In this study, the synthesis of a new green biopolymer, namely acrylated palm olein (APO) from a palm oil-based precursor, was developed. The APO was synthesised via the ring-opening process of the epoxidised palm olein (EPOo) with acrylic acid and triethylamine. The acrylation process produced an APO of a high yield (86.64%) with a molecular weight of 1750 Da. The ester group representing the APO was confirmed through the proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR), carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance (13C-NMR) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), which revealed the promising biodegradable point of the APO molecular structure. Meanwhile, thermal and crystallisation profiles of the APO showed a single-stage decomposition pattern and its triglycerides (TAGs) crystal formation and melting behaviour. As a result, the desired APO polymer was obtained, which possessed potential biodegradable chemical functional group, amorphous, and low molecular weight properties.