  In this work, the polymerization of Limonene Oxide (LO) has been achieved
using an Earth abundant metal-based catalyst developed in our group, that is
very active in ring opening polymerization (ROP) processes. The bio-based
polylimonene ether (PLO) obtained had low molecular weight and good thermal
properties, thus being a potential green polymeric additive for other bio-based
polymers such as PLA. Hence, we have explored its ability to influence PLA
properties. The addition of only 10 wt %, led to the modification and
improvement of PLA properties in terms of flexibility, thermal stability, and
hydrophobicity. The results obtained are promising and open up the potential
industrial application of polylimonene oxide (PLO) for the melt-processing of
blends based on PLA/PLO. These new materials are totally based on renewable
sources and may be interesting for many applications where biodegradability and
reduced water adsorption is required, such as food packaging or agricultural
mulch films.
