Green energy storage films derived from sustainable bio-based materials based on PLA, zein, corn-oil-derived epoxidized fatty acid amide
Journal of Polymer Research, cilt.33, sa.10, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 33 Sayı: 10
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1007/s10965-026-05140-w
- Dergi Adı: Journal of Polymer Research
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Chemical Abstracts Core, Compendex, INSPEC, Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO), Engineering Source (EBSCO), Materials Science & Engineering Collection (ProQuest), Technology Collection (ProQuest)
- Anahtar Kelimeler: Bio-based polymer films, Epoxidized fatty acid amide, Phase change materials, Polylactic acid, Sustainable materials, Zein
- Marmara Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
The growing environmental concerns surrounding petroleum-based polymeric materials have accelerated the development of biodegradable and sustainable alternatives. This study presents the design and characterization of bio-based and biodegradable films, developed using polylactic acid (PLA), modified zein (mZein), and epoxidized fatty acid amides (EFAAC) derived from corn oil. These materials were engineered to incorporate phase change material (PCM) functionalities to improve thermal regulation and enhance product stability under fluctuating temperature conditions. Fatty acid amide derivatives were synthesized through the aminolysis of refined corn oil using diethanolamine (DEA) and subsequently modified via epoxidation. Concurrently, zein was chemically modified with 1-hexadecanol to improve its thermal and structural integration into the polymer matrix. The PCM-functionalized components (EFAAC and mZein) were covalently cross-linked with each other via epoxy-hydroxyl and epoxy-amine reactions and were physically dispersed within the PLA matrix. The resulting product served as the main film forming component ensuring mechanical integrity and structural continuity. Comprehensive characterization of the films was performed using various techniques. The optimized PLA/mZein/EFAAC films exhibited improved thermal energy storage behavior with values in the range of 89–128 J/g. The films also showed enhanced surface properties, and satisfactory thermal stability, while maintaining structural integrity. PLA-mZ maintained high visible-light transparency (> 90% above 400 nm), whereas increasing EFAAC content progressively enhanced UV shielding. The incorporation of EFAAC also markedly altered the surface wettability and enhanced the ductility of selected films, indicating that the film properties could be tuned through the mZein/EFAAC ratio. Overall, the combined incorporation of modified zein and corn-oil-derived EFAAC provided a bio-based PLA film platform in which thermal energy storage, optical transparency, surface characteristics, and mechanical flexibility could be simultaneously tailored by controlling the formulation. This research introduces a novel approach demonstrating that the incorporation of bio-derived phase change components into sustainable polymer systems enable tunable structure-property relationships. The developed films exhibit potential as bio-based functional materials with thermal energy storage capability, offering a sustainable approach for advanced polymer film applications.