Effect of different natural plasticizers on Ethyl Cellulose Oleogel bioplastic

Growing concerns about the environmental impact of fossil-based plastics has highlighted the need for bioplastics. Recently, Ethyl Cellulose-based Oleogels have been proposed as a promising bioplastic alternative due to their biodegradability, biocompatibility, and processability. However, Oleogels require improved plasticity to compete with traditional bioplastics, which are often brittle and difficult to process, limiting their ability to match conventional plastics. Plasticizers are a major bottleneck in the development of sustainable materials, as many are toxic to the environment. This study focused on plasticizing Oleogels using natural origin plasticizers, specifically, Cardanol, Castor Oil, Oleic Acid and Tributyl Citrate. The results demonstrate that these additives significantly influence the mechanical and processing properties of the material. The most effective plasticizers resulted are Cardanol, which increased the maximum elongation by ~ 450% and reduced the gelation temperature by 15–30°C compared to the plasticizer-free Oleogel, and Castor Oil, which enhanced elongation at break by about 380% while preserving the maximum load close to that of the plasticizer-free formulation. These findings highlight the potential of these bio-plasticizers in improving the mechanical and thermal properties of Oleogel-based materials.