Patent ID: 7659330

Claim:
A composite comprising raw lignocellulosic materials dispersed in a thermoplastic polymeric matrix which includes a blend of different thermoplastic polymers, wherein the raw lignocellulosic materials have not been chemically modified and have only been reduced in size through mechanical actions, and the concentrations of cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin and extractives in the lignocellulosic materials are substantially unchanged from the original concentrations, and wherein the polymer blend includes a first thermoplastic polymer having a melting point of about 240° C. or higher and a second thermoplastic polymer which improves the flowability of the polymer blend, wherein the second thermoplastic polymer is a reactive polymer selected from the group consisting of maleic anhydride styrene copolymers (MSC), maleic anhydride/styrene/acrylate and methyl methacrylate tertpolymers, polyoctadecyl maleic anhydride (PODMA), partial esters of PODMA or MSC, succinated polypropylene, succinated polyethylene, succinated polyisobutylene, succinated isoprene/isobutylene copolymers, maleic anhydride/alpha olefin copolymers, poly(maleic anhydride-alt-1-octadecene), poly(maleic anhydride-alt-1-tetradecene), poly(isobutylene-alt-maleic anhydride), poly(ethylene-co-thyl acrylate-co-maleic anhydride), poly(acrylic acid-co-maleic acid), partial MSC-esters and PODMA-esters, partial esters of maleic anhydride copolymer, and malan/styene copolymers (1:1), and wherein the amount of first polymer is from about 50% to about 90% by total weight of the polymers and the amount of the second polymer is from about 10% to about 50% by total weight of the polymers, and wherein the amount of lignocellulosic material in the composite is between about 20% to about 60% by total weight of the composite.