Green recyclable biocomposite prepared from lignin and bamboo

Abstract

Pursuing green and recyclable biocomposites is crucial to promoting sustainable development and carbon balance in the wood-based panel industry. In this study, bamboo and lignin were used as raw materials to create a high-performance biocomposite with better mechanical properties. The biocomposite demonstrates an impressive flexural strength of 97.20 MPa and a tensile strength of 41.43 MPa. These values represent a remarkable increase of 121% and 133%, respectively, compared to traditional fibreboard. This could be due to the lignin in the black liquor undergoing a glassy state transformation during hot pressing and acting as an adhesive to bind bamboo fibres tightly. As a result, the fibres are interconnected by hydrogen bonds and strong chemical bonds. During the recycling experiment, the Hot-pressed B&B20 underwent crushing and partial mixing with bamboo powder in a 1:3 ratio. Despite undergoing this process three times, its strength remained relatively unchanged, with tensile strength ranging from 89.53 to 98.32 MPa and static bending strength ranging from 38.79 to 40.52 MPa. Furthermore, the Hot-pressed B&B20 exhibits excellent machinability, hydrophobicity, heat resistance, and environmental friendliness, which makes it a highly competitive product.