Structure and properties of polymer-wood composites based on an aliphatic copolyamide and secondary polyethylenes

Composite materials based on an aliphatic copolyamide and a secondary polyethylene, as thermoplastic matrices, and wood chips as filler were obtained and characterized. The influence of different factors (polymeric matrix type, fractional composition and geometrical characteristics of wood filler, processing parameters and ratio polymer/wood) on the properties of polymer–wood composites (PWCs) was studied. It was demonstrated that the packing factor F has an essential influence on the properties of PWCs: increasing F values determines an improvement in mechanical properties of these materials. Mechanical properties, thermal behaviour, morphological and diffusion characteristics of the analyzed composites were evaluated through specific methods and reported herein. Morphological and DSC data confirmed the presence of strong interface interactions between polymer and wood. The diffusion characteristics of PWCs showed that the diffusion coefficient D essentially depends on filler content in composites. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 101: 1700–1710, 2006