Synthesis, characterization, and analysis of bioplasticizer derived from Hibiscus rosa-sinensis leaves and cinnamon bark for poly (vinyl chloride) films

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The platform for sustainable solutions in the field of packaging is broadening by the day. Flexible packaging materials mostly use toxic plasticizers, such as Di-2-Ethylhexyl Phthalate (DEHP) and Di- Octyl Phthalate (DOP), for packaging healthcare products. Despite the extensive research carried out to identify an alternative to DEHP, only partial success has been achieved. Either the process of plasticizer preparation or the plasticizer properties render the alternate products non-sustainable. Here, we report an oil extracted from Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, epoxidized by one-pot epoxidation, and named Epoxidized Hibiscus Oil (EHO) as a possible primary bio-based plasticizer and the oil extracted from cinnamon, named Raw Cinnamon Oil (RCO), as a secondary plasticizer. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plasticized films were prepared with EHO (10/30/50 wt%), a combination of both Epoxidized Hibiscus oil and Raw cinnamon oil (EHC) (10/30/50 wt%), the known plasticizer DOP (10/30/50 wt%) and without any plasticizer (control), which is denoted as ’neat PVC’. The thermal, mechanical, volatilization, exudation, and migration properties, as well as the water contact angle and surface morphology, of the prepared films were investigated. Overall, the results showed that the plasticizers EHO and EHC performed better as primary and secondary plasticizers, respectively, than the currently used plasticizers and displayed good compatibility with PVC.