Development of biocomposites from preprocessed wood barks

Due to the rapid advancement of material science and technology, it is anticipated that the next growth area for biomaterials will be in developing energy-efficient processes and lightweight performance products for automotive applications. In this context, wood barks represent a low cost feedstock to produce biocomposites but there has been limited work on investigating its feasibility. The main emphasis of this work is on the utilization of preprocessed yellow birch barks and thermoplastic polypropylene to develop low cost biocomposites, more sustainable and renewable materials, whilst reducing weight and cost and maintaining reliability. The barks were utilized in two different forms. In the first case, the barks were used directly to prepare the biocomposites, while prior extraction of tannins from the barks was performed in a second case. Both forms of the barks were melt-compounded with polypropylene at different bark/polypropylene ratios in a twin-screw extruder to enhance the interaction between them. A coupling agent was used to improve the bark-matrix interface and maximize the desired biocomposite mechanical properties. In addition, low cost calcium oxide filler was added to further replace the fraction of the PP in the blend. The morphology, the mechanical properties, the water sensitivity and the thermal stability of the obtained biocomposites were also investigated and will be presented. A comprehensive mass and energy balance was established and a systematic strategy was implemented for adjusting and optimizing energy use in the integrated twin-screw extrusion system.Peer reviewed: NoNRC publication: Ye