Creation of Polycaprolactone–wood Pulp Composites and the Evaluation of Degradability in Soil

抄録

Plastic waste has become a reality as a major global risk to the environment due to a lack of disposal facilities. Furthermore, CO₂ continues to be generated throughout plastic production and plastic waste processes, damaging the environment as a greenhouse gas. To address these environmental problems from a standpoint of environmentally friendly materials, the concept of a biodegradable polymer composite is proposed in this research. Cellulosic pulp fibers and polycaprolactone（PCL）are both biodegradable and can be applied to create a biodegradable plastic-pulp fiber composite. In addition, it possesses excellent mechanical and structural properties depending on the design and manufacturing technology. In this study, we applied traditional papermaking techniques and heat pressurization to produce a PCL-cellulose composite with a high rate of degradation in soil and specific mechanical properties. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron micrographs exhibited PCL was retained among pulp fibers. The soil degradation test clarified the PCL-cellulose composite degraded faster than plain pulp sheet since PCL is more biodegradable than cellulose.