Towards sustainable thermoplastic woody materials prepared from continuous steam explosion followed by oxidation-reduction

Abstract

Converting plant fibers into thermoplastic materials are challenging in a sustainable society. Herein, continuous steam explosion pretreatment was used to improve the reactivity of plant fiber. Meanwhile, periodate oxidation and subsequent sodium borohydride reduction were used to plastify plant fiber. SEM and BET results showed that steam explosion pretreatment can gradually dissociate bundle structure of eucalyptus fiber and increase its specific surface area, which improve the reaction efficiency significantly. The FTIR and NMR indicated that the eucalyptus fiber had been successfully oxidized and reduced. XRD and TGA tests showed that the crystallinity and thermal stability of the modified fibers decreased with the increase of oxidation time. When the oxidation time is 8 h, the mechanical properties of the modified material are optimal, and the glass transition temperature is significantly reduced. These results suggest that this all-component plant fiber material is a possible alternative to petroleum-based materials.