Abstract

In recent years, there has been a significant increase in social awareness of environmental problems related to high waste generation, oil scarcity and the growing need to reduce the carbon footprint. In this context, polymers from renewable sources can successfully reduce the use of fossil resources. This research work presents the study of polymer matrix composites from high density polyethylene of renewable origin (bioHPDE) and fibers extracted from the strobili of the common pine (Pinus halepensis) typical of the Mediterranean area, characterized by its high percentage of cellulose, and for being very abundant in the natural and economic environment. The research has focused on the influence of a compatibilizing agent based on polyethylene grafted with maleic anhydride on the final performance of the composite material. The resulting composites have been processed by extrusion and subsequent injection molding and a characterization focused on mechanical and thermal properties has been carried out. The results have demonstrated the optimization of the performance of the composite by using the compatibilizer, offering a significant improvement of the fiber-matrix interaction and thus validating its use in this type of composites. The result is a wood plastic composite (WPC) with a wide range of properties depending on the filler content used, providing a highly versatile material with applications in various industrial sectors.