Process to incorporate wet natural fiber and starch into thermoplastics

A process for producing a natural fiber/starch thermoplastic composite comprising steps of:

• providing a wet natural fiber comprising a total amount of natural fiber;
• providing a starch comprising a total amount of starch;
• providing a plasticizer comprising a total amount of plasticizer;
• providing a thermoplastic comprising a total amount of thermoplastic;
• mixing the wet natural fiber, the starch and the plasticizer with water to produce a paste, wherein the water comprises a total amount of water,
• drying the paste to a film,
• cutting the film into strips before compounding with the thermoplastic and
• compounding the paste with the thermoplastic to produce the composite.

A natural fiber/starch thermoplastic composite comprising

• 50 weight % natural fiber, starch and a plasticizer;
• and
• 50 weight % thermoplastic;
• wherein the natural fiber/starch thermoplastic composite has a tensile modulus greater than 1450 MPa, and
• a tensile strength greater than 41 MPa, as measured with an Instron Universal testing machine according to ASTM D638 standard, at room temperature and humidity of 25° C. and 50% and with a crosshead speed of 5 cm/min.