Incorporation of poly(limonene) via melt blending and compression in films of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV)

• Grant number: 25/09965-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: September 20, 2025
• End date: December 19, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Food Science and Technology - Food Technology
• Principal Investigator: Luís Marangoni Júnior
• Grantee: Matheus Milanez Leonetti
• Supervisor: Carla Ivonne La Fuente Arias
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Engenharia de Alimentos (FEA). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Universitat Politécnica de Valéncia (UPV), Spain
• Associated to the scholarship: 24/07891-2 - Poly(limonene): a new renewable additive with active properties for sodium alginate films, BP.IC

Abstract

This project aims to develop active films based on poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV), incorporated with poly(limonene), focusing on evaluating the performance of poly(limonene) as a functional additive. The poly(limonene) will be obtained through photopolymerization of limonene, forming non-volatile oligomers with high thermal stability and active properties (antioxidant and antimicrobial activity). The film preparation will be carried out by melt blending and compression. The developed films will be characterized in terms of visual appearance, color, light transmission, moisture content, solubility, water vapor permeability, oxygen permeability, thickness, mechanical properties, antioxidant and antimicrobial activity, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Thus, it is expected to understand how the additives influence the structure and properties of PHBV films. It is anticipated that films containing poly(limonene) will demonstrate superior performance compared to those without additives. Therefore, this approach contributes to valorizing citrus industry by-products, promoting their reuse in higher-value applications.