Composition Regulation of Free Delignification of Wood Powder toward High Performance, Recyclable Composites

Abstract

Wood-based structural materials have already shown great potential in engineering applications. However, the current research usually has been requiring partial removal of lignin and hemicellulose from wood, and the chemicals used in this process have been harmful to the environment and humans. In this study, a novel addition strategy without the delignification process was reported to design wood-based structural materials. Bacterial cellulose as a green binder and composition regulator was added into wood powder aqueous dispersion to form a wood powder− bacterial cellulose slurry. Superior mechanical properties, excellent water and thermal stability, and recyclability were achieved in this wood powder/bacterial cellulose composite. Furthermore, the composite exhibited pronounced flame retardancy due to the presence of inorganic salt components (calcium and magnesium carbonates). The wood modification strategy without delignification provides a new direction for the production of biodegradable and sustainable wood-based composites as a healthier alternative to petrochemical plastics.