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Surface Modification of Wood Fibers with Citric Acid as a Sustainable Approach to Developing Novel Polycaprolactone-Based Composites for Packaging Applications
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This research develops a method to modify wood fibers using citric acid as a bio-based, sustainable plasticizer for composite materials. Citric acid treatment improves the flexibility and compatibility of wood fibers, reducing reliance on petroleum-derived synthetic plasticizers. The approach offers a greener pathway for producing wood-plastic composites with improved mechanical properties.
In this study, novel biodegradable polycaprolactone (PCL)-based composites for sustainable packaging applications were developed by adding surface-treated wood fibers (WFs). Specifically, the WFs were treated with citric acid (CA) to improve the fiber/matrix adhesion and then melt compounded with a PCL matrix. The presence of an absorption peak at 1720 cm−1 in the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra of CA-treated WFs, coupled with the increase in the storage modulus and complex viscosity in the rheological analysis, confirmed the occurrence of an esterification reaction between CA and WFs, with a consequent increase in interfacial interactions with the PCL matrix. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of the cryo-fractured surface of the composites highlighted that PCL was able to efficiently wet the fibers after the CA treatment, with limited fiber pull-out. Quasi-static tensile tests showed that the composites reinforced with CA-treated wood fibers exhibited a significant increase in yield strength (about 30% with a WF amount of 10% at 0 °C) and also a slight improvement in the VICAT softening temperature (about 6 °C with respect to neat PCL). Water absorption tests showed reduced water uptake in CA-treated composites, consistent with the reduced hydrophilicity confirmed by higher water contact angle values. Therefore, the results obtained in this work highlighted the potential of CA-treated WFs as reinforcement for PCL composites, contributing to the development of eco-sustainable and high-performance packaging materials.
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Surface Modification of Wood Fibers with Citric Acid as a Sustainable Approach to Develop Novel Polycaprolactone Based Composites for Packaging Applications
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers developed biodegradable polycaprolactone composites reinforced with citric acid-treated wood fibers for sustainable packaging, achieving approximately 30% higher yield strength and improved moisture resistance compared to untreated fiber composites. Surface esterification with citric acid enhanced fiber-matrix adhesion, demonstrating a scalable pathway to high-performance eco-friendly packaging materials.
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Researchers reviewed how biopolymers — natural materials like cellulose, chitosan, and lignin — can be applied to wood as sustainable alternatives to synthetic chemical treatments, improving durability, moisture resistance, and mechanical strength while lowering environmental impact compared to conventional methods.
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