Thermoplasticization of wood. I. Benzylation of wood

A study of converting wood into thermoplastic materials was undertaken to develop a new technique in effective utilization of wood wastes. Thermoplasticizatoin of wood carried out by means benzylation. Various reaction parameters, such as alkalinity of reaction media, reaction temperature, and time were taken into account to produce benzylated wood with different degrees of substitution (based on weight gain) FTIR, DSC, DMTA, SEM and x‐ray crystallography were used to characterize the chemical and mechanical properties of benzylated wood. Experimental data showed that preswelling and reaction temperature had critical effects on benzylation reaction. Lignin in wood appeared to inhibit benzylation but extractives had little effect. Different species showed some variation in reaction rates. The thermoplasticized wood exhibited good melting properties and were readily molded into bulk materials or extruded into films and sheets. A wide range of glass transition temperatures from 66 to 280°C for the benezylatedwoods was achieved, and they were larely dependent on the weight gain. The molded and extruded products exhibited acceptable mechanical strength for structural engineering applications. The property and structure relationship for the thermoplasticized wood were discussed