Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 13, 2026

The Effect of Construction and Demolition Waste Plastic Fractions on Wood-Polymer Composite Properties
Published on: June 7, 2020
Wood/Dynamic Covalent Polymer Network Composites
Jiaxi Kuang1, Wanting Wang1, Shuqi Shang1
1Yunnan Provincial Key Laboratory of Wood Adhesives and Glued Products, International Joint Research Center for Biomass Materials, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China.
Dynamic covalent polymer networks (DCPNs) enhance wood composites, offering reprocessable and degradable materials with advanced properties like shape-memory and self-healing. This innovation unlocks sustainable wood utilization for functional applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
- Sustainable Materials
Background:
- Wood is a sustainable resource with potential for functional composites.
- Conventional wood/polymer composites face limitations like poor reprocessability and wood compatibility.
- Dynamic covalent polymer networks (DCPNs) offer reconfigurable thermoset matrices.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent advances in wood/DCPN composites.
- To highlight fabrication approaches and properties of these advanced materials.
- To explore the potential of wood/DCPN composites for sustainable applications.
Main Methods:
- DCPN impregnation into delignified wood.
- Blending of DCPNs with wood powder to create wood-plastic composites (WPCs).
Main Results:
- DCPN-impregnated delignified wood yields transparent wood with shape-memory, photo-luminescence, and thermochromic properties.
- DCPN-modified carbonized wood creates electrode materials with enhanced plasticity and self-healing.
- Repairable and reprocessable wood powder/DCPN composites show potential for carbon storage.
Conclusions:
- Wood/DCPN composites combine wood's properties with DCPNs' dynamic characteristics.
- These composites offer efficient, eco-friendly, and sustainable wood processing and utilization.
- The development of reprocessable and advanced functional wood materials is enabled.
Related Concept Videos
Polymers
Polymers
Polymers
Classification and Mechanical Properties of Synthetic Polymers
Types of Step-Growth Polymers: Polyesters
Polyesters are commonly prepared from terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol; the crude product is known as poly(ethylene terephthalate) or PET. However, polyesters are synthesized industrially by transesterification of dimethyl terephthalate with ethylene glycol at 150 °C. The two reactants and the polymer...
Network Covalent Solids
To break or to melt a covalent network solid, covalent bonds must be broken. Because covalent bonds are relatively strong, covalent network solids are typically...

