Natural Blends of Ethyl Cellulose Oleogels for Tunable Bioplastic Design

TL;DR

This paper explores how different oily molecules affect the properties of biodegradable ethyl cellulose Oleogels, creating tunable bioplastics with improved flexibility and performance.

Contribution

The study introduces new Oleogel formulations using biobased oily molecules to enhance material customizability and performance.

Findings

Cardanol significantly increased elongation at break by 5.6-fold in Oleogels.

Oleic acid reduced the glass-transition temperature by approximately 50 °C.

Castor oil provided a balance between elasticity and thermal stability.

Abstract

Recently, ethyl cellulose
Oleogels have been proposed as gel state,
biobased, and biodegradable thermoplastics. This study explores new
Oleogel formulations by tailoring the oil phase to improve material
customizability. Four classes of biobased oily molecules were selected:
a hydroxylated triglyceridecastor oil, a free fatty acidoleic
acid, a phenolic lipidcardanol, and a citric acid derivativetributyl
citrate. These formulations allowed us to assess the influence of
each molecule on the chemical, physical, and mechanical properties
of the Oleogels. Cardanol provided the most effective plasticization,
increasing elongation at break by 5.6-fold, while oleic acid induced
the largest reduction in glass-transition temperature (ΔT
g ∼ 50 °C). Castor oil, in contrast,
achieved a balance between elasticity and stability, preserving the
tensile strength and thermal resistance. The study presents a comprehensive
rheological, mechanical, and physicochemical characterization of these
thermoplastic Oleogels, highlighting their potential as a new class
of tunable bioplastics.

Figures