CYNARA CARDUNCULUS SEEDS OIL: A PROMISING SOURCE FOR THE PLASTICIZATION OF POLY(LACTIC ACID)

Cardoon seeds oil (Cynara Cardunculus CCO) has been attracting an increasing interest in Italy for the bio-plastic industry. Cardoon is a wild robust perennial plant, native from the Mediterranean basin. The aim of this work is the preparation of biodegradable and non-toxic plasticizers by epoxidation reaction (ECO) of CCO and the study of their potential plasticizing effect in environmentally friendly polymers like poly(lactic acid) (PLA), whose drawbacks are its brittleness and lower impact resistance. The morphological analysis evidenced a well embedding of epoxidized oil inside the polymeric matrix, thus suggesting a good compatibility; the bulk analysis of the systems, by means of DSC and TGA highlighted the decrease of Tg, due to the physical interactions between the polar residues of the polymer and oils in the amorphous region of PLA and higher thermal stability of the polymer in presence of the oils; finally mechanical properties evidenced the enhancement of polymer ductility, particularly in PLA_ECO system.