Sustainable Wood-Based Poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) Biodegradable Composite Films Reinforced by a Rapid Homogeneous Esterification Strategy

Cellulosic biomass is an abundant renewable resource that is suitable as a filler for commercial polyesters to reduce the cost of biodegradable plastics. However, the limited miscibility of lignocelluloses and polyesters results in the poor tensile properties and competitiveness of the composites. Herein, wood-based biodegradable composite films with applicable mechanical properties were directly fabricated by blending chemically modified wood meal with poly(butylene adipate-co- terephthalate) (PBAT) matrix. Wood meal was efficiently dissolved and modified by a rapid (1 h) homogeneous esterification reaction with lauryl chloride in an ionic liquid under a microwave-assisted condition. The esterified wood offered good thermoplastic and hydrophobic characteristics and process-ability, and it can be better melt-blended with PBAT. The prepared wood-based PBAT composite films exhibited acceptable tensile properties (17.0 MPa and 452.7%) under a high addition ratio (40%) of esterified wood. The characterizations of chemical structure, morphology, and thermal properties of the composites revealed that the uniform dispersion and excellent compatibility between esterified wood and PBAT boosted the final mechanical properties of the composite films. This work offers a rapid route to produce economically competitive biodegradable composite films.