Composites of Bioplastic and Cellulosic Fibers as a Replacement for Boards Made with Synthetic Resins

Abstract

The general objective of this doctoral thesis is to develop WBPC (Wood Bio-Plastic Composite) composite materials, from the mixture of one or more biopolymers (matrix), cellulosic fibers (reinforcement) and chemical additives (crosslinking agents, flame retardants, UV radiation protectors, pigments, antimicrobialagents, etc.). At the time being, WBPCs made of soy protein crosslinked with glutaraldehyde and reinforced with sawdust have been obtained by thermocompression. These biocomposites have physical and mechanical properties that meetcommercial product specifications and also good surface finish. The addition of sawdust and crosslinking agent to the bioplastic matrix increases the stiffness, hardness and modulus of rupture of these WBPCs, as well as their resistance to degradation by the action of the environment. In addition, after 24 hours of immersion in water; the  prepared WBPCs can practically recover their original dimensions by drying them in an oven at 105°C. As future work, it is planned to obtain WBPC specimens with a mixed matrix of bioplastics, specifically, soybean protein and chitosan, and, to model the flexural behavior of these materials with numerical simulation tools.