Research Article Open Access

Natural Biomass Thermoplastic Materials Incorporating Wood, Stone and Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents Produced Using an Industrial Twin-Screw Extruder

Abstract

Biomass-based renewable and biodegradable materials are attractive candidates for replacing non-biodegradable petrochemical-derived plastics. Herein, a wood-based thermoplastic material comprising wood, stone, and a Natural Deep Eutectic Solvent (NADES) was prepared by a facile method using an industrial twin-screw extruder. In addition, molding products were also obtained by simple injection molding. All of the components were derived from 100% biomass (assuming talc as biomass), with no materials originating from petroleum or fossil fuels. A deep eutectic solvent was used to dissolve a part of the wood to afford a 100% biomass-based thermoplastic material by using a simple twin-screw extrusion process. The results revealed that the introduction of rosin or poly (3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) led to the improvement in the mechanical strength and water resistance. Infrared spectroscopy (IR) and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectral analyses revealed that cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin were still present after treatment with NADES. As wood and stones are abundant and cost-effective materials, the as-prepared materials demonstrate novelty as new 100% bio-based thermoplastic materials.

Ryohei Mori

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