Influence of Plasticizers Honey and Glycerol on the Properties of Membranes Based on Babassu Coconut Mesocarp

This study developed membranes based on babassu coconut mesocarp and evaluated the impact of honey (80% w/w – MM80 and 100% w/w – MM100) and glycerol (30% w/w – MG30 and 40% w/w – MG40) as plasticizers on their mechanical properties, wetting, and swelling behavior. The membranes were characterized using SEM, TG/DTG, and FTIR. Micrographs showed that plasticized membranes (MG30, MG40, MM80, MM100) had more homogeneous surfaces than the pure membrane (MP). All membranes were hydrophilic, with MM80 and MM100 being more polar. Plasticized membranes showed reduced swelling due to pore filling by plasticizers. Thermal analysis revealed two events for MP (dehydration and polymer degradation), while plasticized membranes displayed an additional event linked to plasticizer release. Regarding mechanical properties, MP demonstrated brittle behavior with high tensile strength (20.08 MPa) and low elongation at break (3.79%). In contrast, the MM80 and MG30 excelled, showing better mechanical properties, with elongation at break values of 10.60% and 16.95%, in addition to the tensile strengths of 11.66 MPa and 10.32 MPa, respectively.