Direct Kneading of Thermo-Softening Pulp towards Producing Sustainable Tough Composites of Wood Nanocellulose and Polycaprolactone

Cellulose nanofiber (CNF)-reinforced plastics were prepared by direct kneading of polycaprolactone (PCL) and thermo-softening pulp. The thermo-softening pulp fully disintegrated into CNFs within a melted PCL matrix through kneading, resulting in an increase in the mechanical strength and thermodimensional stability of PCL while preserving its high toughness.