Microwave irradiation treatment of wood flour and its application in PVC-wood flour composites

Abstract

The technique of microwave irradiation induced free radical bulk-polyaddition reactions in porous wood flour was used to modify wood flour. The behaviors of the modified wood flour under microwave irradiation, such as thermal stability and moisture sorption properties, were studied. A kind of semi-interpenetrating polymer network wood four (Semi-IPN-WF) can be formed through polymerization of MMA in the porous wood flour by microwave irradiation, and the thermal decomposition temperature of the semi-IPN-WF is considerably increased. PVC/Semi-IPN-WF composites were prepared by melt mixing in double rolls, which exhibit improved rheological properties, lower water sorption properties and outstanding mechanical performances.

Keywords

microwave irradiation / wood flour / poly(vinyl chloride) / composites

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