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This paper presents a comprehensive investigation into the manufacturing of high-performance wood-crosslinked high-density polyethylene composites (WxHDPEC). In particular, the effect of maleated polyethylene (MAPE) treatment and concentration (0-50 wt%) of maple wood fibers is investigated. The samples were produced via dry-blending followed by compression molding and a set of characterization was performed including chemical, morphological, mechanical, thermal, and physical properties. The gel content was found to increase with increasing wood fiber content, while the surface modification significantly improved the tensile strength (11%), tensile modulus (298%), flexural strength (138%), and flexural modulus (81%). Thermal analyses also showed improved thermal stability and higher thermal resistance for the treated composites. Finally, the Shore D hardness increased by 11.0 (from 61.5 to 72.5) and 12.1 (from 61.5 to 73.6) points, while the Shore A hardness increased by 7.5 (from 91.5 to 99.0) and 8.1 (from 91.5 to 99.6) points for the untreated and treated composites, respectively. These improvements are attributed to effective adhesion between MAPE-treated wood fibers and the xHDPE matrix. The findings not only advance our understanding of these complex materials but also provide alternatives for various applications from construction to automotive engineering. Highlights * High-performance wood-reinforced crosslinked high-density polyethylene was produced. * The effect of maleated polyethylene (MAPE) treatment and maple wood fibers was studied. * Higher crosslink density in MAPE-treated wood-xHDPE was obtained. * Wood-crosslinked high-density polyethylene composites have better properties. KEYWORDS composites, crosslinking, high-density polyethylene, maple wood fibers, mechanical properties, surface treatment, 1 | INTRODUCTION Crosslinked polyethylene (xPE) has gained significant attention in various industries due to its important properties such as higher thermal stability, higher impact resistance, and better thermal insulation [...]

One of the most used resins in the plastics industry is polyethylene (PE). Although PE has good impact resistance and ductility, its low maximum use temperature and mechanical strength limit some commercial development, especially for load-bearing applications. To get better overall performances, crosslinking is performed to improve the chemical, mechanical, and thermal properties of PE. A though PE can be crosslinked by using various chemical and physical methods, this makes the resulting polymers more difficult to recycle since a three-dimensional (3D) network is created. In this review, we first describe the different crosslinking techniques for PE to manufacture crosslinked PE (XLPE) parts. Then, as more than half of the XLPE-based products are disposed directly after use, we present several options to reuse and recycle these products to overcome this environmental issue and find a sustainable solution. A focus is made on mechanical recycling and de-crosslinking techniques for XLPE to generate recycled-XLPE (r-XLPE). Finally, a conclusion is presented on the current situation and research gaps that must be filled by future works. KEYWORDS crosslinking, polyethylene, processing, properties, recycling, 1 | INTRODUCTION Polymers have surpassed all other materials in the modern era in terms of the amount produced every year. This is due to their lightweight, easy processing, and [...]