Examination of essential oils used in PLA with GC-MS method
Abstract
Upto date, many experiments have been carried out successfully in producing and using essential oil-treated biodegradable polylactid acid (PLA), but the examinations revealed. That essential oils, theoretically consisting the same composition, (like cinnamonoil, majoram oil, orclaryoil) crystallize differently in the PLA base, weakening its mechanical, optical, and thermal properties. The aim of the experiment is to define the exact components with a Gas-Chromatography instrument with MS-detector. It has been found that among the compounds detected in different cinnamon oil samples, there are indeed other potentially harmful components, such as serpentines, alcoholic derivatives, mineral oils and phthalic acid esters, which have caused the condition to deteriorate.
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Introduction
One of the major environmental problems of the 21st century is non-degradable polymers, which are manufactured in huge amounts all over the world because their cheap prices and their easy use make our lives easier. In Hungary, the amount of usable plastic waste is increasing every year. Nowadays, the primary aim of our polymer research is to produce polymers that meet the requirements of this age, that are biodegradable, and compatible with the tissues of the human body.
In one of our former research we compared the mechanical, optical, and thermical properties of samples containing different antimicrobial additives, a base material, and a polyoleicacid type suitable for foil making. It was necessary for the additives to not weaken the material’s above-mentioned properties. The research revealed that essential oils, theoretically consisting of the same composition (like cinnamon-oil, majoram-oil, orclary-oil) crystallize differently in the PLA base, making differences in its mechanical, optical, and thermal properties.
Conclusion
The GC-MS chromatographic analysis of the PLA biopolymer containing different essential oils showed that there was a significant difference between the composition of the cinnamon oil samples and not between the muscatel sage and the ginger oil samples. The measurement results were not influenced by the sample preparation method, since the essential oils were naturally solved so that the decomposition could be more easily made in the system and it was easier to detect the components that formed the oils. In addition to the components already disclosed, the following compound, such as benzyl benzoate (Figure 8), which is used as a solvent for perfume for tobacco, as well as for improving the plasticity of polymers and cellulose, has been detected.