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pps proceeding
Symposium: S11 - (General Session 11) Polymer Composites
Oral Presentation
 
 

Development of Wood-Plastic Composites Based on Wood Particles and Dried Blood

Schöppner Volker (1), Reinders Frauke Marie (1)*, Bremser Wolfgang (1), Sabanov Elena (1)

(1) University of Paderborn - North Rhine-Westphalia - Germany

Target of the current investigation on wood-plastic composites (WPC) is the improvement of its characteristics by adding dried blood. Especially the swelling behavior of WPC in water and bonding between polymer and wood components can be enhanced by cross-linking reactions of wood particles and the protein albumin. Conventional WPC are based on polyolefins or polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The substitution of the petrol based polymer with a biological equivalent leads to bio based materials with all benefits of green biocomposite. Therefor three different bio polymers (PA10.10, PLA, PHA) were examined with each of them having assets and drawbacks on their respective material characteristics. In a co-rotating twin screw extruder the polymer is melted and then compounded with a mixture of wood particles and dried blood, so temperature is a critical factor. On one hand it is important to melt the entirety of the granules, but on the other hand the wood particles and the dried blood are sensitive to heat. Due to correct cylinder settings and screw design a gentle treatment of wood fibers and the blood proteins is guaranteed. During the denaturation of bovine blood meal the softener system is of central importance. Comparable to PVC, protein based thermoplastics need a suitable plasticizer system to develop their maximum performance. Microscopic and material analyzes give information on the chemical structure of the new material and the distribution of the albumin-wood complex. The use of blood protein-based additives can provide a contribution to a resource efficient approach which is aimed to be economical both in a financial and an environmental sense. Especially in relation to the world’s ever-growing meat consumption this will provide economically and ecologically sensible treatment of the waste blood. The resulting materials make a contribution in several fields like agriculture as plant pots or in construction as a more robust alternative to common wood or WPC.