One-Step Twin-Screw Extrusion Process to Fibrillate Deep Eutectic Solvent-Treated Wood to Be Used in Wood Fiber-Polypropylene Composites

Bio-based wood materials are preferable for composites because of their sustainability, but adequately dispersing fibers in polymers can be difficult and costly. Our approach was to pretreat the with a green solvent system, allowing composite extruded single step, simplifying process, reducing overall cost. This study investigates fibrillation untreated sawdust (W) deep eutectic solvent-treated (DESW) using one-step twin-screw extrusion (TSE) process. The results analysis fractions optical microscopy confirmed that process resulted both treated material. width original particles reduced by more than 99% after TSE DES-treated wood. size reduction DESW slightly greater wood, further rheological analysis. fibrillated then compounded polypropylene (PP) produce fiber-polypropylene 50 wt % content. elastic modulus higher neat PP. tensile strength strain at break DESW-PP increased comparison W-PP composite. Furthermore, DES treatment darker color hydrophobicity