Biodegradable, flame retardant wood-plastic combination via in situ ring-opening polymerization of lactide monomers

A wood-plastic combination (WPC) was created via in situ polymerization of the l-lactide monomer (3S)-cis-3,6-dimethyl-1,4-dioxane-2,5-dione. Commercial poplar boards (Liriodendron tulipifera) were impregnated with the flame retardant chemical resorcinol bis(diphenyl phosphate)(RDP). These samples were then soaked in a solution of the monomer and deionized water with sulfuric acid 5% wt/wood as a catalyst for polymerization. The wood and solution were placed in a vacuum oven for impregnation and polymerization of the monomers. The wood RDP combination was not flame retardant and had an Izod impact strength that was slightly smaller than neat wood sample. Addition of lactide monomer tripled the Izod impact strength relative to wood, and scanning electron microscope (SEM) images indicated that a polymerized coating had formed which reinforced the porous wood structure. Addition of all three components produced a synergy. The Izod impact strength of the material was nearly 14 times greater and the WPC was flame retardant surpassing the stringent UL-94-V0 requirement.