Characterization of wood plastic composites using jackfruit wood sawdust in a PLA/HDPE blend

AnhTuan  Phung; Huynh Trung  Hai; Doan Anh  Vu; Nguyen Pham Duy  Linh; Nguyen Thanh  Liem

doi:10.6180/jase.202601_29(1).0019

Characterization of wood plastic composites using jackfruit wood sawdust in a PLA/HDPE blend

Chemical Engineering Material Engineering

AnhTuan PhungThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Huynh Trung Hai, Doan Anh Vu, Nguyen Pham Duy Linh, and Nguyen Thanh Liem

Department of Applied Chemical Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, Hanoi, Vietnam

Received: February 26, 2025
Accepted: April 25, 2025
Publication Date: May 10, 2025

Copyright The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are cited.

Download Citation: ||https://doi.org/10.6180/jase.202601_29(1).0019

The shift toward a circular economy is driving the demand for bio-composites, offering sustainable alternatives to fossil-based materials. Incorporating wood sawdust, a byproduct of the wood industry, into biodegradable polymers enhances both cost efficiency and environmental benefits. This study developed polylactic acid (PLA)/high-density polyethylene (HDPE) composites with 0–30% jackfruit wood sawdust (SD) using twin screw extruder and injection molding, with polyethylene-grafted maleic anhydride (MAPE) to improve bonding. FTIR and XRD analysis confirmed the successful integration of PLA, HDPE, and SD. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) revealed that adding SD lowered PLA’s cold crystallization temperature, indicating better molecular organization, while maintaining a stable melting temperature. Higher SD content (20–30%) slightly increased crystallinity. SEM images showed weak adhesion between PLA and SD, but MAPE enhanced bonding in some areas. Dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA) demonstrated that SD reduced the storage modulus at low temperatures but increased stiffness at higher temperatures, acting as a reinforcing agent. These results suggest that jackfruit wood sawdust effectively strengthens PLA-based composites while maintaining their thermal stability. Overall, this study highlights the potential of wood sawdust as a sustainable filler, improving material properties while promoting waste reduction. These bio-composites show promise for applications in packaging and agriculture, where biodegradability and cost efficiency are key. Future research will explore additional mechanical properties to optimize performance and expand industrial applications.

Keywords: Polylactic Acid; Jackfruit wood sawdust; DMTA; Twin-screw extruder; WPC

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