The Influence of Horsetail (Equisetum arvense L.) Powder and Horsetail-Based Silica on the Crystallization Kinetics of Polylactide

Biogenic silica (SiO₂) sourced from living organisms, especially plants such as rice and other cereals, has recently been successfully applied in different polymeric compositions. Another rich source of biogenic silica is common horsetail (<i>Equisetum arvense</i> L.), containing up to 25% SiO₂ in the dry matter. In this study, biogenic silica was obtained from horsetail powder by acid leaching in sulfuric acid and calcination at 400 °C. The analysis, including measurements of specific surface area using the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller method, assessment of crystallinity by X-ray diffraction, as well as chemical content analysis by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy showed that high-purity, high-surface mesoporous silica was obtained. The biogenic silica and horsetail powders were also introduced to polylactide (PLA) to determine their influence on the polymer's crystallization, which was studied in both non-isothermal and isothermal conditions by differential scanning calorimetry. The crystallization parameters were calculated according to the Avrami method based on isothermal crystallization curves at 100, 110 and 120 °C. The crystalline structures were observed by optical microscopy in polarized light. It was found that both fillers improve the crystallization of PLA, especially in low-supercooling conditions, so they can be successfully utilized in industrial applications, when high crystallinity of polylactide is needed.