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Review
. 2025 May 29;17(11):1523.
doi: 10.3390/polym17111523.

Sawdust as a Byproduct of Wood Processing: Properties, Applications and a Reinforcing Filler in Hybrid Polymer Composites

Tlholohelo Sylvia Sikhosana  1 , Ntsoaki Joyce Malebo  1 , Tladi Gideon Mofokeng  2 , Mpho Phillip Motloung  3 , Mokgaotsa Jonas Mochane  3
Affiliations
Review

Sawdust as a Byproduct of Wood Processing: Properties, Applications and a Reinforcing Filler in Hybrid Polymer Composites

Tlholohelo Sylvia Sikhosana et al. Polymers (Basel). .

Abstract

There is a sizeable amount of sawdust produced from wood industries such as timber and furniture. In the past, sawdust has been utilized as a fuel source and in the manufacturing of furniture. Based on the limited use of sawdust, there is plenty of sawdust accessible from the industries. Sawdust is the material of choice due to its cost effectiveness, environmental friendliness, and biodegradability. However, if sawdust is not appropriately disposed or utilized better, it may have negative impact on the aquatic life and organic products. Hence, this review paper discusses the best possible methods or proper routes for the utilization of sawdust to benefit the environment, society, and the economy at large. Sawdust possesses superior capabilities as a reinforcing filler in various polymer matrices for advanced applications. This paper provides an in-depth discussion on sawdust hybrid composites in comparison to other natural fibres hybrid composites. The applications of various sawdust hybrid polymer composites for specific systems are also mentioned. Furthermore, the morphology and preparation of the sawdust/polymer composites and/or sawdust hybrid polymers composites are also discussed since it is well known that the properties of the natural fibre composites are affected by the preparation method and the resultant morphology. Based on the above, the current paper also plays a critical role in providing more information about waste to value added products.

Keywords: hybrid systems; natural fibre; polymer composites; sawdust; wood-waste.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Classification of fibres, an adaptation from [28].
Figure 2
Figure 2
Selective leading countries in the field of natural fibres.
Figure 3
Figure 3
A typical procedure for fabrication of car inner door panels [48] (open access copyright MDPI).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Different wood waste with permission from [108] (open access copyright MDPI).
Figure 5
Figure 5
Effects of landfill leachate on the surrounding eco-systems [114,115,116,117,118,119] (open access copyright MDPI).
Figure 6
Figure 6
Removing arsenic pollutants with modified sawdust [101]. Copyrights American Chemical Society.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Arrangement of both matrix and filler through interface of the composite.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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