Mechanical, moisture absorption, biodegradation and physical properties of nanoclay-reinforced wood/plant oil composites

Composite materials were prepared via a compression molding process utilizing modified soybean oil, wood flour, and rosin derivative. Montmorillonite (MMT) was used as a nano-filler to increase the properties of composites prepared from methacrylic anhydride based epoxidized soybean oil co-polymerized with divinyl acrylicpimaric acid. The synthesized composites were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffractometry. The MMT filled composites showed enhanced mechanical properties compared to MMT free composites. The thermal stability of MMT filled composites was higher compared to those of unfilled composites due to the development of a protective residue. The morphological study by scanning electron microscope showed that the nano-clay particles were well dispersed throughout the matrix. The effects of MMT on biodegradability of the wood composites was analyzed by UV-spectrophotometry. In addition to that, the mechanical properties of the composite were evaluated after exposure to microorganism attack.