Chemical conversion of wood to thermoplastic material

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Abstract
A chemically modified wood meal (CE‐wood) was prepared by cyanoethylation in the presence of alkaline salts. The temperature Tf at which the wood could flow was measured by a simple mechanical flow tester. The CE‐wood demonstrated thermal flow at around 250°C. The Tf value decreased with increasing cyanoethyl content of the wood. Treatment of the wood meal before cyanoethylation with sodium periodate or sodium chlorite lowered Tf. The flow temperature was also decreased by blending the CE‐wood with appropriate synthetic polymers or plasticizers. Treatment of CE‐wood with chlorine solution was found to be the most effective method of lowering Tf. The Tf value of the slightly chlorinated CE‐wood (Cl content=2%) was about 100°C lower than that of the original CE‐wood. The lowering of Tf for CE‐wood by treatment with chlorine may be interpreted in terms of the plasticizing effect of chlorination on the lignin moiety in the wood.

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