Recycled PLA – Wood flour based biocomposites: Effect of wood flour surface modification, PLA recycling, and maleation

This study investigated the effects of simulated recycling of PLA and Maleated PLA using thermo-mechanical processes on its structure and physico-chemical properties and combined with pristine and modified wood flour (WF) for biocomposites. The WF modification entails a base catalyzed reaction of dodecenylsuccinic anhydride to effectively reduce its polarity and enhance the system's compatibility. Recycling of PLA had a profound effect on PLA's crystallinity and modulus. The addition of WF had significantly affected PLA's crystallinity and moduli of the fabricated biocomposites. The modified samples had superior water repellent and dimensional stability capabilities of the wood-plastic composites.