Mechanical, physical, thermal, and biological characterization of recycled polypropylene-based wood–plastic composites reinforced with heterogeneous furniture-factory waste sawdust

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Abstract

This study investigates sustainable wood-plastic composites produced from heterogeneous furniture-factory waste sawdust and recycled polypropylene, with maleic anhydride-grafted polypropylene as a compatibilizer. Composites containing 0-40 wt% furniture-factory waste sawdust and 0 or 3 wt% maleic anhydride-grafted polypropylene were melt compounded and injection molded. Mechanical, physical, thermal, morphological, and biological performances were systematically evaluated. Increasing furniture-factory waste sawdust content significantly increased tensile and flexural moduli, while tensile strength, elongation at break, and impact strength decreased in the absence of maleic anhydride-grafted polypropylene due to weak interfacial adhesion. The addition of 3 wt% maleic anhydride-grafted polypropylene markedly enhanced mechanical performance, increasing tensile strength to 22,80 MPa and flexural strength to 43,58 MPa at 40 wt% furniture-factory waste sawdust (improvements of up to 42,9 % and 35,7 % respectively, relative to the uncompatibilized counterparts). Scanning electron microscopy analysis confirmed improved fiber encapsulation and reduced interfacial defects. Water absorption increased with furniture-factory waste sawdust content, while fungal mass losses remained below 2 % for all formulations. Thermal analysis revealed reduced initial degradation temperatures with furniture-factory waste sawdust and a broader decomposition range in the presence of maleic anhydride-grafted polypropylene. These results demonstrate that heterogeneous furniture-factory waste sawdust can be successfully incorporated into recycled polypropylene-based wood–plastic composites and that MAPP compatibilization significantly enhances composite performance. The findings provide valuable insights into the mechanical, physical, thermal, morphological, and biological characteristics of FFWS/rPP composites produced from real industrial waste streams.

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