Advancements in Filament Technology: Exploring Grapeseed Oil Derivatives as Plasticizers Incorporated into PLA Containing Carbon Black for Conductive and Flexible Filaments

• Grant number: 25/08245-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: January 20, 2026
• End date: January 19, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Analytical Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Éder Tadeu Gomes Cavalheiro
• Grantee: Jonatha de Freitas
• Supervisor: Craig e Banks
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química de São Carlos (IQSC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU), England
• Associated to the scholarship: 23/15889-5 - Development and application of flexible composite electrodes from biopolymers and graphite, BP.DR

Abstract

This project proposes the synthesis and characterization of chemically modified grapeseed oil by maleinization and epoxidation reactions, following the principles of Green Chemistry. The resulting monomers will be used as novel plasticizers in the formulation of conductive filaments composed of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and carbon black (CB). These filaments will subsequently be used for the fabrication of 3D-printed electrodes.The study is divided into three main stages. The first involves the chemical modification of grapeseed oil by maleinization using maleic anhydride and epoxidation using acetic acid and hydrogen peroxide. The second stage focuses on blending the modified oils with PLA and CB to develop custom conductive filaments. In the third stage, these filaments will be used to print voltammetric electrodes via fused filament fabrication (FFF).The chemical modifications in grapeseed oil will be characterized using Simultaneous Thermogravimetric Analysis/Derivative Thermogravimetry-Differential Thermal Analysis (TG/DTG-DTA), Mid-Infrared Spectroscopy (MIR), and Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (¹H-NMR). The thermal, morphological, and electrochemical properties of the filaments and printed electrodes will be investigated using TG/DTG-DTA, X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and electroanalytical techniques.