Incorporation of epoxidized oleic acid plasticizer into poly(vinylidenefluoride)

Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) polymer was utilized in foods and beverage processing due to its highly stable in nature. This makes plasticizer selection crucial. The solution blending process investigated the incorporation of epoxidized oleic acid (EOA) as a bio-plasticizer into PVDF. The SEM analysis showed the toughening effects in the structure of the blends. The degree of crystallinity was found to decrease with an increase in the EOA ratio. The melting temperature slightly decreased with the addition of EOA. A temperature reduction was observed in the glass transition temperature (Tg), which is the effect of the plasticizer. Bio-plasticized PVDF exhibited increased thermal resistance with higher char formation. The scanning electron fractograph demonstrates that EOA disrupted the PVDF crystallinity by a rise in the amorphicity. Crystal formation was found to be in one dimension and dependent on the bio-plasticizer content. Hence, EOA has an excellent potential as a renewable resource to substitute conventional petroleum-based plasticizers.