Scalable Production of Robust and Creep Resistant Ultra-High Filled Wood-Plastic Composites

With the widespread use of wood-based materials in human life, the availability of wood resources has gradually decreased. The use of low-value wood, without the need for chemical adhesives, has emerged as an effective strategy for addressing the crisis of depleting wood resources in the preparation of wood-based composites. In this study, a high-performance ultra-high filled wood-plastic composites (UFWPC) composed of wood flour (up to 95 wt.%) was prepared through cell wall densification and the construction of multiple cross-linked network structures via deep cross-fusion. The UFWPC exhibits excellent mechanical properties, the flexural strength of UFWPC is 5.9 times that of commercial particleboard, 2.1 times that of commercial fiberboard, and 2.6 times that of commercial wood-plastic composites. Additionally, UFWPC demonstrates excellent creep resistance, the creep strain is 76.79% lower than that of commercial wood-plastic composites. Furthermore, an innovative customization of a large-scale commercial continuous flat-pressing system was established to produce UFWPC. The highly efficient preparation of UFWPC positioned it as an excellent substitute for commercial wood-plastic composites, particleboard, and fiberboard. This approach provides a promising valorization and sustainability pathway for recycling plastics and low-value wood.