Biodegradable Wood-Plastic Composites

A biodegradable thermoplastic composition comprising polyvinyl alcohols, polyurethanes or polyacrylates, cellulose fibers, and chitosan is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,306,550 [125]. 

Biodegradable thermoplastic composites, comprising aliphatic polyester urethanes or polyester amides and wood flour as a reinforcing material, are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,827,905 [126]. 

652 [127] discloses a biodegradable composite material comprising bacterial cellulose in a powdery state and a polymeric material such as poly-hydroxybutyrate, polyhydroxyvalerate, polycaprolactone, polybutylenesuccinate, polyethylenesuccinate, polylactic acid, polyvinylalcohol, cellulose acetate, starch, and other biodegradable polymers. 

164 [128] discloses an extrudable or moldable biodegradable composite material comprising cellulosic fiber such as wood, wood chips, or cotton, and the starch-based biodegradable binder matrix. 

It should be noted that although the developments include various thermoplastic composites based on waste materials, few of these materials are readily available on a widespread and cost-effective basis. Moreover, their proportion in the overall composite mixture tends to be somewhat low, because high proportions of nonplastic components can compromise mechanical properties. As a result, the environmental benefits offered by these compositions are limited. 

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Bonds with plastics, 142 Calcium carbonate in, 112, 141 Cellulose in, 112 Chemical composition, 112 Cost of, 112 Granules, 141 Ingredients, 141 Kaolin clay in, 112 Mold shrinkage, effect on, 142 Oil absorption, 141 Porosity, 141 Shape of particles, 142 Speciflc gravity, 142 Tensile modulus, effect on, 142, 143 Thermal expansion-contraction coefficient, 142 Biodegradable plastics, 79 Biodegradable wood-plastic composites, 91 Bioresistance, 42 Biotite, 146 Black Algae, 426 Black mold, 29, 31, 424, 429 Black panel temperature, 41, 132 Black panel thermometer, 612 Black panel, 41, 132 Bleached cellulose, 11, 14, 180 Cost, 14... 

Hosseinaei, Omid., Wang, Siqun., Taylor, Adam.M. Jae-Woo Kim Effect of hemicellulose extraction on water absorption and mold susceptibility of wood-plastic composites. Int. Biodeterior. Biodegradation 71, 29-35 (2012)... 

In this chapter, several classes of biopolymers are discussed. First, biobased and biodegradable polymers are considered, together with wood plastic composites (WPCs) (Section 8.2). A field of increasing importance is the application of polymers in medicine, particularly their use in the human body (Section 8.3). 

These materials are from renewable sources and are often made from plant materials that can be grown year after year and should come from agricultural nonfood crops. Biodegradable polymers are broken down into CO 2 and water by microorganisms. Although biopolymers may be able to help solve the disposal problems of current plastic packaging, it is not clear if they can really deliver on this promise and whether there is possible competition with the food chain. Cellulose is the most common biopolymer and organic compound on Earth. Other examples are starch, PHB (polyhydroxybutyrate), natural fibers, silk, and wood plastic composites (WPC). 

Naumarm, A., Stephan, I., and Noll, M. (2012) Material resistance of weathered wood-plastic composites against fungal decay. Int. Biodeterior. Biodegrad., 75, 28-35. 

Cellulose, which is more fibrous than wood flour, is used as a filler for urea and melamine plastics. Melamine dishware is a laminated structure consisting of molded resin-impregnated paper. Starch and soybean derivatives are biodegradable, and the rate of disintegration of resin composites containing these fillers may be controlled by the amount of these fillers present in polymers. 

Currently the world s consumption of plastics is growing in this regard there are difficulties in disposing of large amounts of household plastic waste. The solution is to develop biodegradable polymers with a specific expiration date. This work is dedicated to the creation of biodegradable composite material based on LDPE, wood flour and rubbers of different nature. 

Materials such as metal, plastic, wood, paper, and leather are coated with pofymers primarily for protection and for the improvement of their properties. For this purpose, cellulose acetate (CA), cellulose acetate propionate (CAP), and cellulose acetate butyrate (CAB) are the most important classical and solvent-based cellulose esters of the coating industry [44]. Cellulose esters are widely used in composites and laminates as binder, filler, and laminate %ers. In combination with natural fibres, they can be used to some extent as composites from sustainable raw materials with good biodegradability. An additional domain of cellulose esters is their use in controlled-release systems, as well as membranes and other separation media [44, 47]. In the field of controlled-release systems, eellulose esters are used as enteric coatings, hydro-phobic matrices, and semipermeable membranes for appheations in pharmacy, agriculture, and cosmetics. 

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