Ingeo biopolymer 7001d

The methodology for fiber elaboration was proposed by Black-Solis et al. [12 (link)] and Correa-Pacheco et al. [13 (link)]. The fibers were extruded from a mixture of two biodegradable polymers: PLA (IngeoTM Biopolymer 7001D, NatureWorks, LLC, Blair, NE, USA) and PBAT (Ecoflex^® F Blend C1200, BASF, Mexico City, Mexico) in a 60/40 ratio (PLA/PBAT), and cactus stem flour at 3% using canola oil (Valley Foods^®, Michoacán, Mexico) at 4% as a plasticizer. For the extrusion, a twin-screw extruder (Process 11, Thermo Scientific™, Waltham, MA, USA) was used with a temperature profile of 160/160/170/180/190/190/160 °C. The fibers were then cooled in water. The 60/40 pellets were dried at 60 °C for 24 h in a conventional oven prior to extrusion. A peristaltic pump (MasterFlex C/L, Cole-Parmer, Vernon Hills, IL, USA) was used for the addition of the cactus stem flour to the second port of the extruder.

The materials used to manufacture the fibers were pellets of 60% Polylactic acid (PLA) (Ingeo TM Biopolymer 7001D from NatureWorks LLC., Minnetonka, MN, USA), 40% Poly (butylene adipate-co-ter- ephthalate) (PBAT) (Ecoflex F Blend C1200, from BASF (Mexico City, Mexico), 10, 12, 14, and 20% pine essential oil (Pinus sylvestris L.) (PEO) bought from Xipe Naturals (Mexico City, Mexico), and 1% commercial chitosan (CH) obtained from America Alimentos Ingredientes Funcionales (Mexico City, Mexico).
The nets were made following the methodology of Hernández-López et al. [33 (link)]. The polymer blend (60% PLA and 40% PBAT) was dried at 60 °C for 24 h. A total of 30 g of this mixture was processed in a twin screw mini extruder (Thermo Scientific, Process 11. Santa Clara, CA, USA). The fibers of 60/40 PLA/PBAT involving pine essential oil were elaborated by adding it through a peristaltic pump, which changed speed from 0.10–0.20 mL/min. The fibers were cooled in a water bath at the end of the extrusion. In the case of the chitosan-coated fibers, this compound was used instead of water.