The morphology, physical, and mechanical properties of poly (lactic acid)-based wood flour and pulp fiber biocomposites

This study aims to fabricate an Eco-friendly wood-plastic composite (WPC) with poly (lactic acid) (PLA) biodegradable matrix reinforced by wood flour (WF) of Fir and Pulp fibers (PF). PLA samples were compared to the samples made from one of the most commonly used synthetic plastics, i.e., Low density polyethylene (LDPE) to evaluate the results of this study. In addition to the physical and mechanical properties, the morphological properties of the new product were also studied by electron scanning (SEM). According to the results of the mechanical properties of the PLA samples, the highest resistance was related to the samples containing PF filler and the strength of the samples was also improved by increasing the percentage of PF. In the case of physical properties, the best result was for those samples containing WF fillers, and these physical properties improved by reducing wood flour content. According to the results and the general comparison of the two polymers, the best resistance was related to the samples made with LDPE.