MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF WOOD-PLASTIC COMBINATES (WPC) PREPARED BY CHEMICAL CATALYSIS OR GAMMA RADIATION

THE POSSIBILITY OF IMPROVING THE PHYSICAL STRENGTH AND OTHER PROPERTIES OF WOOD BY FILLING ITS PORES WITH A POLYMERIC MATERIAL, I.E. BY PRODUCING WOOD-POLYMER COMPOSITES, ALSO CALLED WOOD-PLASTIC COMBINATES (WPC), WAS INVESTIGATED. AN ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO ELUCIDATE THE PROPERTIES OF WPC THAT RESULT WHEN CURING IS EFFECTED BY TWO DIFFERENT PROCEDURES (HEAT AND CHEMICAL CATALYSIS AND GAMMA RADIATION). IN BOTH CASES, THE SAME UNSATURATED POLYESTER-STYRENE MIXTURE WAS USED AS THE IMPREGNANT. THE FOLLOWING RESUTLS WERE OBSERVED: (1) THE CLEAVAGE STRENGTHS OF THE HEAT-CURED AND THE RADIATION-CURED WPC WERE APPROXIMATELY EQUAL WHEN THE IMPREGNATION MIXTURE CONTAINED NO ADDITIVES, BUT HEAT-CURING ALONG WITH ADDITIVES, POLYETHYLENEGLYCOL (PEG) OR TRI-BETA-CHLOROETHYLPHOSPHATE (TCEP), RESULTED IN INCREASED CLEAVAGE STRENGTHS; (2) GENERALLY RANDOM DIFFERENCES WERE OBSERVED BETWEEN THE BENDING STRENGTHS, WITH INCREASED STRENGTH FROM RADIATION-CURING OBSERVED IN PLAIN WPC AND INCREASED STRENGTH FROM HEAT-CURING OBSERVED IN WPC WITH PEG OR TCEP ADDITIVES; (3) SLIGHTLY INCREASED ELASTICITY MODULUS WAS OBSERVED IN HEAT-CURED WPC; AND (4) HIGHER VALUES FOR THE HARDNESS OF THE HEAT-CURED WPC WERE CONSISTENTLY OBTAINED. THE PRODUCTS WERE VISUALLY SIMILAR, SLIGHTLY BROWNISH IN COLOR. ADDITION OF PEG OR TCEP HAD A RETARDING EFFECT ON COMBUSTION, BUT AN INFLAMMABLE PRODUCT WAS NOT ACHIEVED.

• Corporate Authors:

  Technical Research Center of Finland

  Lonnrotinkatu 37
  Helsinki 18,   Finland 
• Authors:
  • Akkanen, V
  • Tammela, V
  • Miettinen, J K
• Publication Date: 1972

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 37 p.
• Serial:
  • Issue Number: 3

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Adhesives; Bending; Catalysis; Chemicals; Cleavage fracture; Concrete curing; Flammability; Gamma rays; Hardness; Heat; Impregnation (Engineering); Modulus of elasticity; Polymers; Strength of materials; Wood
• Old TRIS Terms: Cleavage
• Subject Areas: Geotechnology; Highways; Materials;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00217385
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Apr 20 1974 12:00AM