Flame retardancy and mechanical properties of thermal plastic composite panels made from Tetra Pak waste and high‐density polyethylene

In this article, flame retardancy thermoplastic composites were developed by extrusion followed by injection molding using recycled Tetra Pak packaging material (TPP) waste and high‐density polyethylene (HDPE) with addition of ammonium polyphosphate (APP) and melamine (MEL) as intumescent flame retardants (FRs). The influences of intumescent FRs on the properties of composites were investigated. FRs loading positively affected flame retardancy, but deteriorated mechanical properties as the loading rate was more than 30 wt%. Considering the fire retardancy and tensile strength (TS), the content of FR should not be more than 30 wt%. When the ratio of APP/MEL was less than 3/1, both combustion behavior and TS of the composites were improved with the increased FR loading, which was supported and verified by the analysis of FTIR spectra and SEM images. The thermogravimetric analysis results indicated that the incorporation APP and/or APP and MEL into composites as FRs into composites promoted char formation and correspondingly improved the thermal stability. The synergistic effect of APP and MEL in the intumescent FR system further improved the flame retardancy of the composites. POLYM. COMPOS., 37:1797–1804, 2016. © 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Mechanical and morphological properties of wood plastic composites based on municipal plastic waste

Production and characterization of wood plastic composites (WPC) from the light fraction of municipal plastic wastes (post‐consumer) and wood processing residues (sawdust) were investigated. Composition analysis revealed the presence of polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) as the two main components of the matrix. In order to improve compatibility and adhesion between all the phases, an ethylene–octene copolymer was used to compatibilize the polymer phases and was also acting as an impact modifier, while the addition of maleated polyethylene and maleated polypropylene (MAPP) were acting as coupling agents between the polymer matrix and the wood flour. The combined effect of all the components was found to produce composites with interesting morphological (dispersion and adhesion) and mechanical properties (tension, torsion, flexion, and impact) after optimization of the additive package (blend of coupling agents). POLYM. COMPOS., 2013. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Physical and mechanical properties of urea formaldehyde-bonded particleboard made from bamboo waste

Development of value-added products from any unutilized woody or non-woody material can play a vital role in economic development and also in forest resources conservation of any country. In this study, the suitabilities of planer waste and chips of Bambusa balcooa and Bambusa vulgaris, two locally grown bamboo species of Bangladesh, were investigated for the production of particleboard. The planer waste is a kind of shavings obtained during planing operation of bamboo splits for making rectangular strips of uniform thickness.Urea formaldehyde glue was used as a binder. Particleboards (12 mm thickness) were made from each type of the material applying 3.5 N/mm² pressure at 140 °C press temperature. The panels were tested to determine bending strength, modulus of elasticity, tensile strength, thickness swelling and water absorption.The variation in particle geometry of the raw materials significantly influenced the physical and mechanical properties of particleboard. The chips showed better strength properties compared to planer waste. B. vulgaris produced better and well glued particleboards compared to B. balcooa because of its superior gluability. The product could be used for indoor application especially as furniture component. Further research on the improvement in dimensional stabilization of product is needed.     

Effect of resin type and content on properties of composite particleboard made of a mixture of wood and rice husk

This study investigated the effect of resin type and content on the dimensional stability and mechanical properties of single-layer composite particleboards made of a mixture of wood particles (70 wt%) and rice husk particles (30 wt%). Two types of resin, urea–formaldehyde (UF) resin and phenol–formaldehyde (PF) resin, were used in the experiments at three different contents which were 8, 10, or 12 wt%. The dimensional stability of the samples was significantly improved by increasing the resin content. When the contents of the UF and PF resins increased from 8 to 12 wt%, the WA values of the samples decreased to18% and 33%, respectively. Similar results were also observed for the TS values. The UF resin bonded samples swelled two times more than the PF resin bonded particleboard. The mechanical properties of the PF resin bonded samples were better than the UF resin bonded samples. When the contents of the UF and PF resins increased from 8% to 12 wt%, the internal bond strength values of the samples increased to 21% and 41%, respectively. The bending strength and modulus of elasticity of the samples were not significantly increased by increasing contents of the UF and PF resins, except for the 12 wt% content.     

Flammability of wood plastic composites prepared from plastic waste

The flammability of wood plastic composites manufactured from recycled plastics was investigated by using the cone calorimetry technique. The peak of the heat release rate was 12% to 25% lower compared to references produced from pure polyethylene‐ and polypropylene‐based composites. The total heat capacity and mass loss rate were also smaller for recycled material compared to the references. The stability of the composites was improved due to the presence of various thermally stable compounds, eg, traces of fire retardants, pigments, and other additives and impurities that can be present in recycled material. Incorporation of carbon black into the secondary materials did not reduce the peak of the heat release rate, but the total heat capacity and mass loss rate decreased further.     

Recycling of waste FRP and corn straw in wood plastic composite

Waste fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) combined with corn straw fiber was recycled and incorporated in wood plastic composite (WPC). The synergistic enhancement effect of glass fiber and corn straw fiber was investigated. The results show that there was a good physical interlocking structure among glass fiber of waste FRP, corn straw fiber and poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) in WPC, which led to the enhancement of mechanical properties of WPC. With 30 phr (parts per hundreds of resin) waste FRP, the tensile strength and flexural strength of WPC were improved to 24 and 66 MPa, increased by 31% and 23% with respect to starting WPC. This study reveals that waste FRP and corn straw fiber can be good alternative for wood fiber in the production of WPC. POLYM. COMPOS., 38:2140–2145, 2017. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers     

塑性相结合刚玉复合材料的力学性能

在刚玉－碳化硅耐火材料中添加硅粉,利用硅粉所具有的金属塑性特征,使得制品具有了塑性成型的性质,而且提高了制品的致密化程度和断裂韧性,并达到了坯体增韧的效果。     

Thermal and mechanical properties of wood flour–polystyrene blends from postconsumer plastic waste

Polystyrene (PS) from packing materials and plastic cups was reinforced with 30 and 50% wood flour through a blending process with and without a commercial compatibilizing agent. The processability of the pure recycled polystyrene (rPS) and wood–rPS composites was studied in terms of the torque of the mixing process; this was then compared with that of a commercial virgin multipurpose PS. The physical and mechanical properties were compared with those of the virgin PS reinforced with 30 and 50% wood flour. The results show that the mechanical properties of the pure and reinforced rPS did not decrease with respect to the virgin PS, and in terms of the impact strength, the rPS was superior to the virgin plastic. The mechanical properties were not affected by the commercial compatibilizing agent, but the torque of the blends was significantly lower with the compatibilizer. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and dynamic mechanical analysis were used to study the glass‐transition temperature (T_g) of both the pure virgin PS and pure rPS and the wood flour–PS composites. The T_g values of the rPS and wood–rPS composites were higher than those of the virgin PS and wood–virgin PS composites. The use of rPS increased the stiffness and flexural modulus of the composites. Thermogravimetric analysis revealed that the thermal stability of rPS and its composites was slightly greater than that of the virgin PS and its composites. These results suggest that postconsumer PS can be used to obtain composite materials with good mechanical and thermal properties. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

木粉的碱化处理对木塑复合材料性能的影响

采用木粉填充高密度聚乙烯（HDPE）制备复合材料。为增强亲水性的木粉和憎水性的HDPE基质之间的化学亲和力,对木粉碱化处理。研究了相容剂用量和木粉的碱化处理对复合材料力学性能的影响。结果显示,马来酸酐接枝HDPE可明显提高复合材料的力学性能．表现出很好的增容效果：与用未碱化处理的木粉填充的复合材料相比,木粉的碱化处理使复合材料的弯曲强度和弯曲模量分别下降20．4％和36．2％：在不使用相容剂的情况下,木粉的碱化处理也会使复合材料的拉伸强度下降．但在使用适量相容剂后．则可使复合材料的拉伸强度从未处理时的30．3MPa提高到36．5MPa,与纯HDPE相比,拉伸强度提高了44.8％。     

Preparation and properties of wood plastic composite reinforced by ultralong cellulose nanofibers

Wood plastic composites (WPCs) were reinforced by ultralong cellulose nanofibers (CNF), which were extracted from poplar flour. To solve the aggregate problem of CNF in nonpolar high density polyethylene (HDPE), a new method, which was corresponding to preblending the mixture of wood flour and HDPE powder in the CNF suspension with continuously stirring at 80°C for 2 h was used before the extrusion process. The capillary rheological tests showed CNF could increase the apparent viscosity of WPCs obviously. From the SEM images, abundant CNF were distributed on the fracture surface of WPCs uniformly and compactly like “spider web.” Compared with WPC without CNF, the bending strength, bending modulus, and impact strength of WPCs with 20 wt% CNF increased by 93.01, 153.64, and 116.55%, respectively. The thermal expansion coefficient of WPCs with 20 wt% CNF decreased by 61.30%. The storage modulus of WPCs was greatly improved with the addition of CNF. POLYM. COMPOS., 37:1206–1215, 2016. © 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Studies of physico–mechanical properties of wood and wood plastic composite (WPC)

An attempt has been made to improve the quality of low grade wood through radiation induced wood plastic composite (WPC) formation in order to use these low grade woods as substitutes for high grade wood. Six kinds of local woods of Bangladesh (simul, korai, mango, jack fruit, teak, and garjon) were investigated. Both soft and hard wood varieties of these were selected. Ten vinyl monomers were used for the WPC. Improvement in the quality of wood was ascertained by determining change in physico—mechanical properties of wood. These properties were tensile strength, Young's modulus, and dimensional stability. Among all the woods investigated, simuls exhibited the best performance for WPC formation. It was found that the tensile strength and Young's modulus of WPC increased about 1.6 and 1.5 times, respectively, as compared with the strength and modulus those of untreated wood.     

Mechanical and dynamic mechanical properties of waste rubber powder/HDPE composite

Mechanical and dynamic mechanical properties of a waste rubber powder‐filled high‐density polyethylene (HDPE) composite are investigated. Rubber powder is surface‐modified with acrylamide (AAm) using ultraviolet. Rubber powder and HDPE are extruded using a single‐screw extruder and maleic anhydride‐grafted polypropylene is added as a compatibilizer to improve the adhesion between rubber powder and HDPE. The tensile stress and strain of AAm‐grafted rubber powder/compatibilizer/HDPE composites always exhibit higher values than those of unmodified rubber powder/HDPE composites. Surface modification of rubber powder is shown to decrease the magnitude of the tan δ of the HDPE composite. Higher values of the notched Izod impact strength of a surface‐modified rubber‐filled composite is observed compared to those of unmodified rubber‐filled composite. Experimental results show that acryl amide‐grafted rubber powder reacts with maleic anhydride and it results in improved mechanical properties of the HDPE composite. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 77: 2595–2602, 2000     

纤维板用脲醛树脂胶的制备与性能研究

通过分步加入尿素制备废纸纤维板粘合剂,研究了合成工艺对脲醛胶性能的影响。实验得出,采用甲醛与尿素的物质的量比为1.4,尿素分3次投入,在调pH值弱碱性之前加入聚乙烯醇(PVA),合成反应稳定,粘合剂的粘接强度提高,游离甲醛质量分数降低至0.2%以下,贮存期为50d以上。     

Effect of particle granularity on smoldering fire in wood chips made from wood waste: An experimental study

Fires in wood waste storages cause financial losses, are difficult to extinguish, and emit large amounts of fire effluents. The mechanisms related to fires in wood chip piles are not well elucidated. To find suitable preventive measures for handling such fires in wood waste, a better understanding of the physical properties of wood waste is needed. The present study investigates how granularity affects mechanisms of smoldering fire and transition to flaming in wood chip piles. Eighteen experiments with samples inside a top-ventilated, vertical cylinder were conducted. Heating from underneath the cylinder induced auto-ignition and smoldering fire, and temperatures and mass loss of the sample were measured. The results showed that granularity significantly affects the smoldering fire dynamics. Material containing larger wood chips (length 4-100 mm) demonstrated more irregular temperature development, higher temperatures, faster combustion, and higher mass losses than material of smaller wood chips (length <4 mm). The larger wood chips also underwent transition to flaming fires. Flaming fires were not observed for small wood chips, which instead demonstrated prolonged and steady smoldering propagation. The differences are assumed to be partly due to the different bulk densities of the samples of large and small wood chips affecting the ventilation conditions. Increased knowledge about these combustion processes and transition to flaming is vital to develop risk-reducing measures when storing wood chips made from wood waste in piles.     

Study of plastic compounds containing polypropylene and wood derived fillers from waste of different origin

The scope of the article was to study the perspectives of the using of wood derived fillers (WDF) from waste of different origin as fillers of polypropylene. The WDF used in this study was hard wood flour (HW), birch veneer polishing dust (VD) and tetra‐pack carton cellulose fiber (TC). Some mechanical strength parameters, water uptake in the static and cyclic test and resistance to fungal decay of polypropylene (PP) composites containing these three types of WDF were studied and compared with similar loading (40 wt %) talc‐filled PP. Composites containing TC and VD fibers as filler showed the highest flexural strength at three test temperatures (?40, +20, and +40°C) and flexural modulus and tensile strength at plus temperatures. On the other hand talc‐filled PP exhibited greatest flexural modulus at minus temperature, greatest impact strength at room temperature and best flow ability. Significant difference was observed between PP composites with HW and VD fillers regarding water uptake in cyclic tests, however flexural strength and modulus change of composites were reversible after drying. No weight loss of WDF/PP composites was observed after 6 week exposure to brown‐ and white‐rot fungi, however, degradation of the surface of samples was detected by SEM. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Mechanical properties of commingled plastic from recycled polyethylene and polystyrene

The mechanical properties of commingled plastic in the form of thick beams prepared by the ET-1 process have been examined in flexure and compression. The mechanical properties were evaluated in relationship to the hierarchical morphology described in a previous study. It was found that the flexural modulus was dominated by the properties of the skin and was satisfactorily modeled by approaches based on the observed micro-morphology, such as the Nielsen and Davis models. It was not necessary to consider the skin–core macromorphology because the flexural modulus was dominated by the void-free skin. The compressive modulus was lower than the flexural modulus and was strongly affected by the skin–core macro-morphology. From the differences between the flexural and compressive moduli, it was determined that the core was essentially nonload-bearing in compression. Flexural fracture initiated on the tension side of the beam and propagated rapidly through the thickness, whereas compressive failure occurred by longitudinal splitting of the skin. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Mechanical and morphological properties of coextruded wood plastic composites with glass fiber‐filled shell

Coextrusion technology makes various properties of wood plastic composites (WPCs) highly tunable. However, structural and material optimization of core‐shell shaped WPCs is needed to balance manufacturing cost, processing efficiency, and product performance. In this study, various systems of coextruded WPCs were designed and analyzed using short glass fiber (SGF)‐filled shells in combination with three core systems (i.e., weak, moderate, and strong). A comparison of the composite flexural property of the manufactured WPCs (i.e., modulus and strength) shows that SGF reinforcements in the shell layer were optimized at high SGF loading levels regardless of core qualities. Also, SGF alignments in the shell layer played an important role in determining the flexural property of the WPCs. When the shell modulus and strength were lower than these of the core, the increase of shell thickness led to reduced composite properties. On the other hand, when the shell properties were higher than the core properties, the opposite was true. Composite impact strength increased with shell thickness increase for all three core systems. However, at a given shell thickness, the impact strength decreased with the addition of SGFs in the shell. Further increase of SGFs in the shell led to somewhat increased impact strength. The structure–property relationship plots provide a design guide for optimizing performance of coextruded WPCs with various combinations of core‐shell qualities. POLYM. COMPOS., 37:824–834, 2016. © 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Phenol–formaldehyde‐type resins made from phenol‐liquefied wood for the bonding of particleboard

Liquefaction of southern pine wood in phenol in 30–40 : 70–60 weight ratios resulted in homogeneous liquefied materials, which were directly used to synthesize phenol–formaldehyde (PF)‐type resins. The synthesized resins showed good physical and handling properties: low viscosity, stability for storage and transportation, and resin applicable by a common sprayer. Particleboard panels bonded with the synthesized resins showed promising physical properties and significantly lower formaldehyde emission values than those bonded with the urea–formaldehyde resin control. One deficiency observed for the synthesized resins was lower internal bond values, which might be overcome the use of a hot‐stacking procedure. Overall, the process of wood liquefaction with limited amounts of phenol as a solvent was shown to have the potential of providing practical, low‐cost PF‐type resins with very low formaldehyde emission potentials. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Mechanical properties of paper sheets prepared from carbamoylethylated wood pulp

Carbamoylethylation of wood pulp was carried out at different conditions including acrylamide concentration, time of impregnation, and medium of the reaction (aqueous and nonaqueous). Mechanical properties of paper sheets prepared from the carbamoyethylated cellulose were examined. Carbamoyethylated paper sheets showed improved double-fold breaking length and burst factor irrespective of the reaction medium. Tear strength remained practically unaltered with aqueous carbamoylethylation but decreased in the case of non-aqueous carbamoylethylation. Water retention value (WRV) decreased by carbamoylethylation especially when the latter was performed in nonaqueous medium.     

Recycling carbon fiber from composite waste and its reinforcing effect on polyvinylidene fluoride composite: Mechanical,morphology, and interface properties

Recycled carbon fiber (RCF) was reclaimed from thermoset composite waste and employed as reinforcement from 0 to 30 wt% to prepare polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)/RCF composite. Commercial virgin carbon fiber (VCF) was used as comparison. The surface morphology, chemistry, and tensile properties of carbon fibers were investigated by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X‐Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), and tensile test. Results showed that the roughness, O/C ratio and –COO content of RCF surface were significantly improved after recycling. In addition, the single fiber tensile strength and modulus of RCF was lower than that of VCF. The interfacial adhesion between RCF and PVDF was much stronger due to the high chemical activity and roughness over the RCF surface. Mechanical properties of composites were investigated by flexural test, impact test, and Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA). It is found that the PVDF/RCF composite showed higher flexural properties, storage modulus, and lower impact strength, which indicated the strong interfacial adhesion, played an important role in reinforcing. The morphology of fracture further demonstrated the strong interface in PVDF/RCF composite. The fiber length distribution and crystallinity of composites were also evaluated to characterize the composites. The work develops potential for recycling and reuse of carbon fiber, and also expands the application of PVDF based composite. POLYM. COMPOS., 38:2544–2552, 2017. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers