Ecoflex f blend c1200

Poly(lactic acid) (IngeoTM Biopolymer 2003D) was purchased from NatureWorks LLC, Minneapolis, MN, USA and poly(butylene adipate terephthalate) (ecoflex^® F Blend C1200) was obtained from BASF, Ludwigshafen, Germany. Epoxidized soybean oil (Merginat ESBO) was supplied from Hobum Oleochemicals, Hamburg, Germany. Tetrahydrofuran (THF), acetone and ethanol (Carl Roth GmbH & Co. KG, Karlsruhe, Germany) were used without further purification. Distilled hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP, 99.9%) was purchased from ChemPur GmbH, Karlsruhe, Germany.

PBAT (Ecoflex F Blend C1200, BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany) exhibits a weight average molecular weight of 1.05 × 10⁵ g/mol and a polydispersity of 2.0.
PLA (Ingeo^TM Biopolymer 2003D, NatureWorks LLC, Minnetonka, MN, USA) exhibits a weight average molecular weight of 2.10 × 10⁵ g/mol, a polydispersity of 1.6 and a D-isomer content of approximately 4.4%.
The neat polymer granules are pre-dried at 60 °C for 2 h in a hot air oven before use.

Polylactide (PLA) Ingeo 2003D supplied by Nature Works LCC (Minnetonka, MN, USA), polybutylene adipate-co-terephthalate (PBAT), and Ecoflex F Blend C1200 (BASF) were used. PLA and PBAT (80/20 ratio) were blended, and the addition of 1.0 wt.% of chain extender (CE) Joncryl 4368 (BASF) was used. Nanocomposites were prepared using the PLA/PBAT mixture with montmorillonite Nanomer I28E (Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis, Missouri, MO, USA), which contained 25–30 wt.% trimethyl stearyl ammonium. The particle size of the MMT filler given by the manufacturer was ≤20 μm. The amounts of filler introduced into the PLA/PBAT nanocomposites were 1.0, 3.0, and 5.0%.

Two types of standard polymer pellets (high density polyethylene—HDPE, Auser Polimeri, Coreglia Antelminelli (LU), Italy, and polypropylene—PP, PoliEko, Celje, Slovenia) were used, together with two types of biodegradable polymer pellets (polylactic acid—PLA, Ingeo 2002D^®, NatureWorks, Plymouth, MN, USA, and polybutylene adipate-co-terephthalate—PBAT, Ecoflex^® F Blend C1200, BASF, Ludwigshafen, Germany). They were used as received.

PLA resins Ingeo 4032D (1.5 mol % d-lactide)^{14 (link)} and Ingeo 4060D (12 mol % d-lactide)^{14 (link)} were purchased from
Natureworks LLC. Ingeo 2500HP (0.5 mol % d-lactide)^{37 (link)} and Ingeo 4950D (45 mol % d-lactide)
were donated by Natureworks LLC. PBS (BioPBS FZ91PM) and PBSA (BioPBS
FD92PM) (20 mol % adipate)^{38 (link)} were purchased
from Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation. PBAT (Ecoflex F Blend C1200)
was procured from BASF. PCL (Capa 6800D) was purchased from Ingevity.
PTT (Sorona Bright) was donated by Covation Biomaterials. Four grades
of PHB-co-HHx (0 mol % HHx, 7 mol % HHx, 12 mol %
HHx, and 18 mol % HHx) were provided by the New Materials Institute
at the University of Georgia. PHACT A1000 (PHB-co-4HB) (>30 mol % 4HB, reported by the manufacturer) was obtained
from CJ Bio America Inc. PEF was synthesized for this study. All polymers
were dried under vacuum (>40 °C, according to manufacturer
guidelines)
and used without further purification.

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.

Poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate), (PBAT; commercial Ecoflex^® F Blend C1200, BASF, SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany) is a film grade with a melt flow rate (MFR) of 2.7–4.9 g/10 min (190 °C, 2.16 kg), a density in the range of 1.25–1.27 g/cm³ and a melting temperature in the range of 110–120 °C.
Biochar particles (BC) have been produced using carob waste after syrup extraction, for carob candy production, and slow pyrolysis, for fuel production, as shown in Scheme 1. The BCP has been produced by slow pyrolysis, as a second level waste after pyrolysis process carried out at three different temperatures, i.e., 280, 340 and 400 °C, as reported in our previous work [41 (link)]. In this work the biochar particles as a result of pyrolysis conducted at 280, 340 and 400 °C are named BC280, BC340 and BC400, respectively. The residual biochar from these three different pyrolysis conditions was milled at the same process condition.