Green Plasticizer Research Articles

Utilization of spent bleaching earth as green filler and plasticizer in the manufacture of rubber compounds for solid tire production

This study utilized spent bleaching earth (SBE) as a single form of filler and plasticizer in the manufacture of rubber components for solid tire vulcanizate. SBE, an underutilized byproduct of vegetable oil purification, is abundantly available globally and can be used as a filler and plasticizer in rubber compounds. This aligns with environmental sustainability principles, reduces disposal costs, and lowers raw material expenses in rubber manufacturing. In this research, the SBE was applied for each formula from SBE-02 to SBE-05 at ratios of 15–30 per hundred rubber (phr). As a comparison, carbon black (CB) filler (65 phr), CaCO3 (35 phr), and plasticizer derived from petroleum in the form of paraffinic oil (PO) (6 phr) were used. Rubber components were produced by masticating natural and synthetic rubber in an open mill, followed by the addition of filler, plasticizer, accelerator, co-activator, anti-degradant, and vulcanization agent. The resulting compounds were vulcanized at 150 °C and 10 MPa for 17 minutes. The test results demonstrated that incorporating SBE at a ratio of 15 phr (SBE-02) significantly reduced the cure time (t90) to 8 minutes and 20 seconds, the shortest among all tested formulations. The mechanical properties of the SBE-02 vulcanizate rubber met the requirements for solid wheelchair tire applications, with a hardness of 70 Shore A. However, its abrasion resistance test result of 189.1 g/cm³ was the lowest among the formulations tested. Furthermore, the scorch time (ts2) of the SBE-02 was determined to be 2 minutes and 35 seconds. Results from a 1000x magnification scanning electron microscope (SEM) reveal air gaps on all sample surfaces of different sizes. The elements C, O, Zn, Si, Ca, and Pb dominate the SEM-EDX results for all rubber vulcanizate samples from all three spectra, in varying weight percentages. The identification of functional groups with FTIR on all rubber vulcanizate samples shows Si–O–Si bending at 2, 4, and 5 and Si–O–Al stretching at 3, 5 on the wave number spectrum of 680–413 cm−1 Si–O–Si on the wave number spectrum 1100–1050 cm−1 from the infrared spectrum.

Transparent maltitol- cellulose nanocrystal film for high performance barrier

The broad applications of cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) films are restricted by their low resistance against water and brittleness. In this study, high barrier transparent films composed of CNCs and maltitol, used as a bio-plasticizer (at up to 30% weight), were prepared by spray deposition. Addition of plasticizer increased the optical transmittance of the films. It also improved elongation at break and flexibility of the films, while reducing Young’s modulus and tensile strength. The barrier properties of CNC films plasticized with maltitol were significantly improved over CNC. In particular, films containing 30 wt.% maltitol showed a water vapor permeability of 3.67 × 10–12 (g/Pa.s.m) and oxygen permeability of 4.75 (cm3.µm/m2.day.Pa) corresponding to 94% and 78% reductions over CNC films, respectively. This remarkable barrier improvement is attributed to a combination of decreased porosity and the interaction of hydroxy groups of maltitol and CNCs. This interaction led to a reduction of the free hydroxy groups available to interact with the water molecules diffusing in the nanocomposite films, as confirmed by dynamic vapor sorption measurements. This study presents maltitol as a green plasticizer significantly improving the CNC film properties and enabling new barrier applications.

Green bio-derived epoxidized linseed-oil plasticizer improves the toughness, strength, and dimensional stability of furfuryl alcohol-modified wood

Furfuryl alcohol (FA) modification represents a sustainable approach to wood modification; however, it significantly reduces the toughness of the wood, limiting its practical applications. This study introduced epoxidized linseed oil (ELO) as an environmentally friendly and bio-derived plasticizer to enhance the toughness and mechanical properties of FA-modified wood. Microstructural analyses confirmed the integration of FA and ELO into the cellular structure of the wood. The chemical interactions between the epoxy groups of ELO and hydroxyl groups of FA were characterized using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, illustrating that a ring-opening reaction occurred that grafted the long flexible aliphatic chains of ELO onto the FA chains, thereby enhancing the chain mobility and flexibility. This interaction significantly decreased the crosslinking density, thereby achieving toughening. FA–ELO modification resulted in significantly enhanced dimensional stability and mechanical properties. Specifically, the anti-swelling efficiency exceeded 80 %, while the modulus of elasticity, modulus of rupture, and along-grain compressive strength increased by up to 35.0 %, 36.8 %, and 45.7 %, respectively. Additionally, significant enhancements in the elongation at break and impact strength were achieved, at 369.1 % and 72.4 %, respectively. The loss factor also increased. The optimal ELO content was 20 wt%. This study effectively demonstrated how ELO mitigates the brittleness of FA-modified wood and supports its application in high-value fields such as construction.

Synthesis, characterization and performance evaluation of different alkyl chain lengths flame-retardant plasticizers for poly(vinyl chloride) derived from sustainable vanillic acid

The current market for poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) plasticizers is dominated by flammable petroleum-based compounds, accounting for over 80 % of the total share. Due to their high flammability, the search for novel approaches to enhance the fire resistance of flexible PVC has gained urgency. However, traditional flame-retardant schemes suffer from shortcomings such as poor compatibility, inferior long-term performance, and weak mechanical properties. Herein, we synthesized a novel biobased flame-retardant plasticizer (VAn-P) using vanillic acid as a skeleton. This plasticizer exhibits remarkable properties, including a substantially lower glass transition temperature compared to unplasticized PVC. The binding energy between VAn-P and PVC is calculated to be –33.30 kcal/mole, indicating a strong interaction. Furthermore, the maximum elongation at break of VAn-P plasticized PVC is 16 times higher than that of unmodified PVC. All PVC samples plasticized with VAn-P achieved a UL-94 VTM-0 rating. TGA-FTIR analysis revealed that the flame-retarding mechanism of VAn-P involves solid-phase action, significantly delaying the dehydrochlorination process of PVC. Moreover, VAn-P exhibits superior migration resistance compared to dioctyl phthalate (DOP). We also investigated the effects of alkyl chain lengths in VAn-P on various properties of PVC blends, including thermal stability, flame retardancy, mechanical properties, and optical performance. The toxicity of vanillic acid-based flame-retardant plasticizer has undergone an initial assessment. Overall, this green plasticizer is expected to endow polymers with high plasticizing performance and flame retardancy, providing a novel and sustainable approach for the synthesis of functional plasticizers.

Preparation of green biodegradable lactic acid-based flame-retardant plasticizer for simultaneously enhancing flexibility, flame retardancy, and smoke-suppression of poly(lactic acid)

Conventional petroleum-based plasticizers not only exhibit reproductive toxicity and non-biodegradability, but their introduction also makes plastics highly combustible. Therefore, the development of biodegradable flame-retardant plasticizers derived from biomass resources can effectively solve the matters mentioned above. In this work, we developed a new l-lactic acid-based biodegradable flame-retardant plasticizer containing phosphorus, nitrogen, and silicon elements (PDL550) with flame-retarded, smoke-suppressing, and plasticized function. The introduction of PDL550 can simultaneously enhance the flame-retardant and flexible performances of polylactic acid (PLA). With the addition of 20 phr PDL550, the PDL550-plasticized PLA blends could pass a UL-94 V-0 grade, and simultaneously its elongation at break increased to 290.32 % in comparison with that of pure PLA (3.70 %). The cone calorimetric tests exhibited that the peak of heat release rate and total heat release of PDL550-plasticized PLA blends, in comparison with that of pure PLA, decreased by 17.8 and 50.8 %, respectively. By analyzing the volatiles and the residual char layer, the phosphorus and silicon elements synergistically in PDL550 are conducive to facilitating the formation of the complete and dense char layer, thus suppressing the release of smoke and shielding the attack of heat. Interestingly, the active soil and tenebrio molitors experiments exhibited that the PDL550 chain was attacked by microbes to form a small aliphatic molecule structure, indicating the excellent biodegradability of PDL550. This study provides an essential reference for developing bio-derived fire-retardant plasticizers to enhance fire safety, smoke-suppressing, and flexible PLA composites.

Construction of high-performance and sustainable polylactic acid composites for 3D printing applications with plasticizer

Polylactic acid (PLA) attains much attention because of its biodegradability, biocompatibility, and high strength, but its further application was remarkably hindered by its brittleness. In order to improve the toughness of PLA, a biodegradable composite was prepared by blending ductile polycaprolactone (PCL), stiff microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), and green plasticizer tributyl citrate (TBC) with PLA by melting extrusion. The physicochemical properties and microstructure of PLA composites were thoroughly investigated using FTIR, TGA, DSC, XRD, melting rheology, optical transmittance, 3d printing, tensile tests, and SEM. The tensile tests results show that introduction of TBC exhibited a remarkable improvement effect in the elongation at break of PLA/PCL/MCC (PPM) composite, increasing from 2.9 % of PPM to up to 30 % of PPM/6TBC and PPM/8TBC. Noticeably, the strength of PPM/TBC composites (at least 33.1 MPa) was enhanced compared with that of PPM (28.2 MPa). The plasticization of TBC, enhancing the compatibility of composites, and reinforcing effect of MCC were identified as pivotal factors in toughening and reinforcing PLA. Furthermore, it is observed that the incorporation of TBC contributed to enhanced thermal stability, crystallinity, and rheology property of composites. This research supplies a novel approach to bolstering the toughness of PLA and broaden its potential applications.

Melt-processable polyvinyl alcohol/lignin composites with improved strength via synergistic plasticization of lignin

The characteristics of multi-hydroxyl structure and strong hydrogen bonding in polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) make its melting point close to its decomposition temperature, causing melt-processing difficulty. In this work, following the plasticization of small-molecule primary plasticizer acetamide, lignin was demonstrated as a green secondary plasticizer in realizing the melt processing and simultaneous reinforcement of PVA. During the plasticization process, lignin was able to combine with the hydroxyl groups of PVA, so as to destroy the hydrogen bonds and regularity of the PVA chains. The synergistic plasticization effect of lignin dramatically reduced the melting point of PVA from 185 °C to 151 °C. The thermal processing window of PVA composites was expanded from 50 °C to roughly 80 °C after introducing lignin. In contrast to acetamide, the addition of lignin significantly increased the tensile strength and Young's modulus of the composites to 71 MPa and 1.34 GPa, respectively. Meanwhile, lignin helped to hinder the migration of acetamide via hydrogen bonds. With the addition of lignin, the composites also displayed enhanced hydrophobicity and excellent UV shielding performance. The strategy of synergistic plasticization of lignin provides a feasible basis for the practical application of lignin in melt-processable PVA materials with good comprehensive properties.

Synthesis of dioctyl sebacate catalysed by cellulose-immobilized lipase

Dioctyl sebacate is a long carbon chain dibasic acid ester with methylene as the main body. It is widely used in plasticizers because of its good cold resistance and high viscosity. And it has excellent properties of non-toxicity and easy biodegradation, so it can be used as a potential new green bio-based plasticizer. At present, most of the preparation methods of dioctyl sebacate are chemical methods, which have many by-products and cause environmental pollution. In this article, cellulose microspheres were used as a carrier to immobilize Candida antarctica lipase B (CALB) to catalyse the esterification of sebacic acid and n-octanol to prepare dioctyl sebacate. Through single factor experiments, the lipase immobilized on cellulose microspheres was optimized to determine the best process conditions: add 500 µL CALB to the erlenmeyer flask, and then add 0.02 mol/L PBS buffer (pH 8.0). After being prepared into a 5 mL system, 0.1 g of cellulose microspheres were added as a carrier and reacted for 3 h at 35 °C and 180 r/min. Added 0.5 vt% polyethylene glycol diglycidyl ether (PEGDEG) to the system for crosslinking. The final immobilization rate of lipase immobilized on cellulose microspheres was 80.06%, and the enzyme activity was 288.07 U/g. Using the cellulose-immobilized lipase as a catalyst, in the toluene system, the molar ratio of n (sebacic acid)/n (n-octanol) substrate was 1:3.5, the amount of immobilized enzyme was 0.04 g, 4 Å molecular sieve 1.5 g, 40 °C, and 150 r/min for 30 h, the conversion rate of dioctyl sebacate was 76.45%.

Conventional and Green Rubber Plasticizers Classified through Nile Red [E(NR)] and Reichardt’s Polarity Scale [ET(30)

After a survey on polymer plasticization theories and conventional criteria to evaluate polymer–plasticizer compatibility through the solubility parameter, an attempt to create a polymer–plasticizer polarity scale through solvatochromic dyes has been made. Since Reichardt’s ET(30) dye is insoluble in rubber hydrocarbon polymers like polyisoprene, polybutadiene and styrene–butadiene copolymers and is not useful for the evaluation of the hydrocarbons and ester plasticizers, the Nile Red solvatochromic dye was instead used extensively and successfully for this class of compounds. A total of 53 different compounds were evaluated with the Nile Red dye and wherever possible also with Reichardt’s ET(33) dye. A very good correlation was then found between the Nile Red scale E(NR) and Reichardt’s ET(30) scale for this class of compounds focusing on diene rubbers and their typical hydrocarbons and new ester plasticizers. Furthermore, the E(NR) scale also shows a reasonable correlation with the total solubility parameter calculated according to the Van Krevelen method. Based on the above results, some conclusion was made about the compatibility between the diene rubbers and the conventional plasticizers, as well as a new and green plasticizer proposed for the rubber compounds.

Finely tuning polyimide film structure via green plasticizer's disentangling chain to improve the trade-off between transmittance and mechanical property

To achieve the prevention of toxic waste while improving the intended functionality and durability of the film, polyimide (PI) based on TFMB-6FDA was tuned via the green plasticizer acetyl tributyl citrate (ATBC) to prepare a flexible film with high transmittance, high strength and ultraviolet (UV)-resistance. All the properties of ATBC tuned film (PI/T1, PI/T2, and PI/T3), average transmittance (AT), tensile strength (σb), elongation at break (ɛb), and elastic modulus (E) increase first and then decrease with the increase of ATBC amount. The three formers reach their own maximum values with 0.5 mole ratio of ATBC, 91.20 %, 244.0 MPa, and 12.2 %, respectively, higher than 90.50 %, 184.1 MPa, and 5.34 % of PI. The water contact angle of PI/T2 obtains the maximum value of 94.72°, and its water contact angle is 14.2 % higher than that of the pure PI (82.93°). The UV-resistance of PI/T2 is far better than that of PI after 2000 equivalent sun hours (ESHs) UV irradiation, and the AT attenuation of PI/T2 is just about one third of PI, so ATBC can retard the attenuation of PI transmittance and mechanical property.

Green Plasticizer for Poly(vinyl chloride) Re-Granulate Production: Case Study of Sustainability Concept Implementation

The increase in waste polymer recycling has helped in promoting sustainability, and together with the use of renewable raw materials, it has become a widespread concept with positive effects on both the economy and ecology. Accordingly, the aim of this study was the synthesis of “green” plasticizers, marked as LA/PG/PET/EG/LA, formed from waste poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) and bio-based platform chemicals propylene glycol (PG) and levulinic acid (LA). The structure of the obtained plasticizers was complex, as confirmed by results from nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis. The LA/PG/PET/EG/LA plasticizers and waste poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) were used in an optimized technology for PVC re-granulate production. The hardness of the PVC-based material with “green” plasticizers, in comparison to commercial plasticizer dioctyl terephthalate (DOTP), increased by 11.3%, while migration decreased. An improved material homogeneity and wettability of the fibers by the matrix were observed using SEM analysis of the material’s fracture surface, with a higher efficiency of intermolecular interactions leading to better mechanical performances of the newly designed materials. Thus, LA/PG/PET/EG/LA are unique materials with good compounding and plasticizing potential for PVC, as revealed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). In that manner, the use of bio-renewable resources and recycled polymers will contribute to diminishing waste polymer generation, contributing to a lower carbon footprint.

Robust polyvinyl alcohol with broad thermoplastic window enabled by controlled citrate-plasticizing adding ways

Given that the decomposition temperature is close to the melting point, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fails thermoplastic processing. Developing a suitable plasticizer-enhancing system to reduce melting point or increase the decomposition temperature, resulting in generating a temperature window of thermoplastic processing is an urgent research topic in practical processing applications. In this work, triethyl citrate (TEC) (or tributyl citrate (TBC)), as a green plasticizer, was successfully introduced in the PVA matrix by rational and scientific means. To systematically explore the effects of plasticizers on melting point and mechanical properties of the PVA, distinguishing from traditional plasticizer-adding means, the optimized plasticizer was added to the PVA precursor (i.e., polyvinyl acetate (PVAc)), generating a highly effective blend at upon molecular level, which can achieve a uniform phase mixture of plasticizer molecules in PVA after alcoholysis. In this case, small molecular plasticizers participate in the formation of intermolecular hydrogen bonds between PVA molecules, thus forming abundant effective energy dissipation sites. As a result, thus-obtained A-PVA/TEC10 exhibited an elongation at break of 385.3% and toughness of 154.4 MPa, which are 2.87 times and 1.75 times than those of unplasticized PVA, respectively. Also, the elongation at break and toughness of A-PVA/TEC10 are far superior to those of PVA that are prepared by directly blending way. Most importantly, along with the augmentation of the TEC plasticizer in the PVA system, the melting temperature of plasticized PVA achieved after the alcoholysis reaction of PVAc/TEC10 decreased significantly, and slightly increased in decomposition temperature. This work offers a valuable and justified plasticizing strategy for the processability of PVA materials.

Enhancing ionic conductivity and flexibility in solid polymer electrolytes with rainforest honey as a green plasticizer

AbstractSolid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) play a pivotal role in advancing electrochemical devices, such as proton batteries and supercapacitors, owing to their potential for enhancing safety and flexibility. In this work, employs a solution casting technique to prepare SPEs, utilizing chitosan‐dextran blends as the polymer matrix. Ammonium thiocyanate (NH4SCN) is incorporated as a charge carrier, while honey is introduced as a plasticizer. The interaction between these materials is confirmed through Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis. X‐ray diffraction (XRD) analysis reveals that the addition of 10 wt.% honey (H10) to the polymer blend results in the lowest degree of crystallinity (15.24%), emphasizing the pivotal role of plasticizers in modulating the structural properties of SPEs. Furthermore, by incorporating 40 wt.% NH4SCN (SN40) into the plasticizer‐polymer host (H10), the ambient temperature conductivity obtains its maximum value of (1.08 ± 0.19 × 10−3 S cm−1) with the lowest degree of crystallinity of 10.44%, verify it is the most amorphous electrolyte. The observed trend in conductivity is influenced by the diffusion coefficient (D), ion density (n), and mobility of the ions (μ). Complementing these findings, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) is employed to investigate the surface morphology and cross section of the SPEs, providing a comprehensive understanding of their structural characteristics. From linear sweep voltammetry (LSV), SN40 is electrochemically stable up to 2.2 V and the tion is 0.97 indicating that the ions are the dominant charge carriers.

Trash into treasure: Chemical upcycling of poly(ɛ-caprolactone) waste plastic to plasticizer with excellent plasticizing performance and migration resistance

In recent years, with the increasingly serious environmental pollution, the achievement of a truly circular materials economy approach to sustainability has attracted the attention of scientists. In this paper, we proposed an approach that combined the chemical recycling of poly(ɛ-caprolactone) (PCL) plastic with the synthesis of a green plasticizer to promote the development of plastics' reutilization. An efficient alcoholysis strategy was employed to achieve the precise chain scission of PCL into short-chain PCL (sc-PCL), which was subsequently blended with polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The excellent compatibility of PVC/sc-PCL blend was characterized through differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and solubility parameters. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) confirmed that the thermostability and plasticity of the plasticized PVC samples were superior to those of most commercial plasticizers' plasticized samples. Meanwhile, the exceptional extraction and migration resistance of PVC/sc-PCL implied that sc-PCL was capable to modify PVC as an ideal plasticizer. The flexible macromolecular structure of sc-PCL and the high percentage of polar ester groups made sc-PCL closely entangled with PVC, thus exhibiting excellent plasticizing properties. This trash into treasure strategy was also applicable to commercial PCL products, which will open up a new direction for chemical recycling of plastics as well as design and synthesis of green plasticizers.

Galactomannan crosslinking with a green plasticizer malonic acid and its biomedical applications

The galactomannan has been crosslinked with malonic acid at 55 °C in aqueous medium to introduce 1,3-propane dioate moieties. The prepared formulation has utility in sustained drug delivery exemplifying conversion of biomass to biomedical products.

PLA bio-nanocomposites reinforced with cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) for 3D printing applications

This study deals with the development of 3D printable bionanocomposites using poly(lactic acid) (PLA) with ≤ 2% D-lactic acid content and cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs). The CNFs were extracted from the waste sawdust of Eucalyptus grandis via chemical and mechanical techniques. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) revealed that the CNFs were thermally stable within the intended processing temperature ranges. In this study, a combination of solvent casting and melt extrusion techniques was adopted in the production of PLA containing 1 wt% and 3 wt% CNFs. The neat PLA filament was brittle and frequently broke during fused deposition modelling (FDM) 3D printing. However, the incorporation of triacetin as a green plasticizer resulted in improved filament flexibility and eliminated the inherent brittleness. TGA analysis revealed a slight reduction in the degradation temperature of the bionanocomposites when compared to neat polymer; however, all the specimens were thermally stable within the processing temperature. The scanning electron microscopy images of the 3D printed specimens revealed the presence of voids across the fracture surfaces. The tensile analysis of 3D printed specimens revealed that the PLA/CNF bionanocomposites exhibited higher tensile modulus, and elongation (strain) when compared to PLA-based specimens. The tensile strength of the 3D-printed 1 wt% bionanocomposite specimen was 12% higher than that of the neat specimen, whereas the 3 wt% bionanocomposite remained comparable to neat PLA. In summary, the morphological, tensile and 3D printing analysis revealed that the bionanocomposite filaments possessed adequate roundness, flexibility, and strength. The as-prepared filaments performed well under low printing temperatures without warping.

Green biopolymer and plasticizer for solid electrolyte preparation: FTIR, electrochemical properties and EDLC characteristics

In this study a green electrolyte was developed by incorporating methylcellulose (MC) polymer with potassium thiocyanate as ion provider and plasticized with glycerol to enhance salt dissociation. The purpose of glycerol addition was to improve DC conductivity and to enhance the performance of an electric double-layer capacitor (EDLC) device. The electrochemical and structural characteristics of the green electrolyte were examined. The broadening of the FTIR bands and a decrease in intensity indicated the interaction between the electrolyte components. The suitability of the electrolyte films for device applications was confirmed by measuring ionic conductivity using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) skills. A significant amount of charge was concentrated at the electrode–electrolyte interface because of the high dielectric constant of the electrolyte. The loss tangent (tan δ) and modulus (M“) spectra obtained from electrical impedance spectroscopy showed distinct peaks associated with ion relaxation processes. The results of the transference number measurement (TNM) experiment indicated that ions were more influential than electrons. The stability of the film under different voltage conditions was evaluated using the linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) method. The performance of the EDLC was determined through cyclic voltammetry (CV) and charge–discharge evaluations. The CV pattern of the device at low scan rates showed a non-Faradaic mode of charge storage with a nearly rectangular shape. The newly constructed EDLC exhibited an initial capacitance per unit mass of 79F/g, a utilization efficiency of 87%, a power density of 1950 W/kg, and an energy storage density of 12.1 Wh/kg.

A Green Cement Plasticizer from Softwood Kraft Lignin

A green cement plasticizer was produced in a one-step aerobic oxidation of kraft lignin (KL) in the presence of KOH. In this study, optimizing the reaction conditions led to the maximum carboxylic acid group and charge density of 2.6 mmol/g and 1.9 mequiv/g for oxidized lignin, respectively. The NMR, FTIR, and XPS analyses quantified the alterations in the structure of KL after the oxidation reaction. The molecular weight analysis revealed that lignin depolymerization would depend on the temperature, lignin amount, and KOH concentrations. The oxidized lignin with a higher carboxylic acid group adsorbed on the cement particles more readily than a commercial plasticizer, which increased the flowability of the pastes. The compressive strength of cement was improved much more by using oxidized lignin instead of a commercial plasticizer and lignosulfonate. The current study suggested that the one-pot KOH-mediated oxidation of kraft lignin is a promising approach to producing a green plasticizer for cement application.

Functional chitosan/zein films with Rosa roxburghii Tratt leaves extracts prepared by natural deep eutectic solvents

In this study, the bioactive extract of Rosa roxburghii Tratt (RRT) leaves was incorporated into a chitosan/zein matrix to produce a food packaging film with higher antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. The natural deep eutectic solvent (NADES) was taken as the extraction solvent and green plasticizer to prepare the film matrix. The physical and structural properties of chitosan/zein films with different concentrations of RRT leaves extracts were characterized by infrared spectroscopy analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope. The incorporation of RRT leaves extract significantly improved the mechanical properties, light barrier properties and water vapor permeability of the chitosan/zein films. Moreover, the films containing RRT leaves extract had better antioxidant activities and antibacterial activities, with the highest DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activities of 88.17 % and 86.84 %, respectively, and also effectively inhibited the growth of microorganisms and extended the shelf life of blueberries and cherry tomatoes.

Efficient biocatalytic synthesis of green plasticizer 2,5-furanediformate isooctyl ester using an immobilized lipase.

2,5-furanediformate Isooctyl is a potential new green biobased plasticizer. At present, most of the preparation methods are chemical methods, which not only have many by-products and are difficult to separate, but also cause environmental pollution. In this paper, the immobilized lipase Novozym435 was used as the catalyst to catalyze the transesterification of 2,5-furanediformate dimethyl ester and isooctyl alcohol to prepare 2,5-furanediformate isoocty in organic medium, and the reaction process was optimized. The optimal process conditions were determined by single factor experiment: in 10 mL toluene system, the additional amount of immobilized lipase Novozym435 was 0.02 g, the molar ratio of 2,5-furanediformate dimethyl ester (1 mmol) and isooctyl alcohol was 1:4, and 1 g 4Å molecular sieve was added to the reaction system, the reaction temperature was 50°C, the reaction time was 24 h, and the conversion rate of 2,5-furanediformate isoocty was 89.63%.