Extrusion of five biopolymers reinforced with increasing wood flour concentration on a production machine, injection moulding and mechanical performance

On account of restricted availability of petrochemical resources and increasing environmental concern this study is focused on extrusion and injection moulding of different biocomposites, containing up to 70% wood flour. Clear decreases in flow ability were assessed with rising fibre load. These inhibited injection moulding of blends with more than 65% fibre content. The tensile and flexural strengths of all biopolymers except for the polylactic acid (PLA) were significantly improved. Huge increases were also determined for modulus of elasticity, whereas impact performance and water resistance dropped dramatically with rising fibre load. In general at higher filling levels lower impacts of fibre content on mechanical properties were observed.