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Effects of tomato peel extract on morphological, chemical, thermal, and mechanical properties of poly(lactic acid)

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Abstract

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is a sustainable, biodegradable polymer with high brittleness, elastic modulus, poor ductility, and low tensile strain that might restrict the packaging applications. The properties of PLA can be modified by addition of various materials. This study intended to reveal the effect of PLA with various concentrations of tomato peel extract (TPE) on the morphological, structural, thermal, and mechanical properties of PLA/TPE biocomposites. TPE was incorporated into the PLA matrix at 2, 4, and 6% w/w. The morphological analysis showed that films were successfully prepared by a combination of solvent-casting and compression-molding. TPE was well dispersed at low concentrations, though at higher concentrations above 2% w/w, an agglomeration of the TPE was observed. Thermal analysis revealed that the glass transition temperature of the biocomposites decreased with increasing content of TPE. FTIR spectra of the biocomposites showed that several components of TPE, such as phenolic compounds and fatty acid esters, could be incorporated into the matrix. Better mechanical performance was obtained for 2 and 4% w/w of TPE content in terms of tensile strain (between 2.4 and 38% higher compared to neat PLA) that was an indication of higher mechanical flexibility. These results showed the application performance of TPE in packaging materials.

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Acknowledgements

The present study was supported by the Ege University Scientific Research Projects Coordination with the Project ID: FGA-2022-23383.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Food Engineering Department, Ege University, Bornova, 35100, Izmir, Turkey

    Erinc Kocak & Ozlem Kizilirmak Esmer

  2. Department of Polymer Materials Engineering, Yalova University, 77200, Yalova, Turkey

    Mukaddes Sevval Cetin & Hatice Aylin Karahan Toprakci

  3. Institute of Graduate Studies, Yalova University, 77200, Yalova, Turkey

    Mukaddes Sevval Cetin & Hatice Aylin Karahan Toprakci

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  1. Erinc Kocak
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Correspondence to Hatice Aylin Karahan Toprakci.

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Kocak, E., Cetin, M.S., Kizilirmak Esmer, O. et al. Effects of tomato peel extract on morphological, chemical, thermal, and mechanical properties of poly(lactic acid). Iran Polym J 32, 1135–1148 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13726-023-01187-4

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