Abstract: | Optimum processing parameters were searched for pilot scale production of woodpolyester composite materials by studying the effect of initiation rate on the curing process. The radiation initiation of the following systems were examined: methyl methacrylate, mixture of styrene and acrylonitrile, and their combinations with unsaturated polyester. In the most cases, the over-all rate of the whole process of polymerization in wood matrix is proportional to the square root of the initiation rate. The most favourable composite was made from a ternary resin based on styrene, acrylonitrile, and unsaturated polyester, which can be cured in the wood with a very low dose. |