Wood–plastic composite
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Wood–plastic composites (WPCs) are
(PLA).In addition to wood fiber and plastic, WPCs can also contain other ligno-cellulosic and/or inorganic filler materials. WPCs are a subset of a larger category of materials called natural fiber plastic composites (NFPCs), which may contain no cellulose-based fiber fillers such as pulp fibers, peanut hulls, coffee husk, bamboo, straw, digestate, etc.
Chemical additives provide for integration of polymer and wood flour (powder) while facilitating optimal processing conditions.
History
The company that invented and patented the process to create WPC was
Uses
Also sometimes known as composite timber, WPCs are still new materials relative to the long history of natural lumber as a building material. The most widespread use of WPCs in North America is in outdoor
Production
WPCs are produced by thoroughly mixing ground wood particles and heated
help tailor the end product to the target area of application. Extruded WPCs are formed into both solid and hollow profiles. A large variety of injection molded parts are also produced, from automotive door panels to cell phone covers.In some manufacturing facilities, the constituents are combined and processed in a pelletizing extruder, which produces pellets of the new material. The pellets are then re-melted and formed into the final shape. Other manufacturers complete the finished part in a single step of mixing and extrusion.[12]
Due to the addition of organic material, WPCs are usually processed at far lower temperatures than traditional plastics during extrusion and injection molding. WPCs tend to process at temperatures of about 28 °C (50 °F) lower than the same, unfilled material, for instance. Most will begin to burn at temperatures around 204 °C (400 °F).[13] Processing WPCs at excessively high temperatures increases the risk of shearing, or burning and discoloration resulting from pushing a material that is too hot through a gate which is too small, during injection molding. The ratio of wood to plastic in the composite will ultimately determine the melt flow index (MFI) of the WPC, with larger amounts of wood generally leading to a lower MFI.
Advantages and disadvantages
WPCs do not corrode and are highly resistant to rot, decay, and
WPC sandwich boards
WPC boards show a good set of performance but monolithic composite sheets are relatively heavy (most often heavier than pure plastics) which limits their use to applications where low weight is not essential. WPC in a sandwich-structured composite form allows for a combination of the benefits of traditional wood polymer composites with the lightness of a sandwich panel technology. WPC sandwich boards consist of wood polymer composite skins and usually low-density polymer core which leads to a very effective increase of panel's rigidity. WPC sandwich boards are used mainly in automotive, transportation and building applications, but furniture applications are also being developed.[22] New efficient and often in-line integrated production processes allow to produce stronger and stiffer WPC sandwich boards at lower costs compared to traditional plastic sheets or monolithic WPC panels.[23]
Issues
Environmental impact
The
Fire hazards
The types of plastic normally used in WPC formulations have higher
See also
- Composite lumber
- Glued laminated timber
- Laminate panel
- Plastic composite (disambiguation)
- Plastic lumber
- Sleeper
- Transparent wood composite
References
- ^ Official website of Agripak
- ^ Plastics World, Volume 28, Parte 2
- ^ Official Website of ICMA
- ^ "WPC Social Housing". www.woodpecker.com.co.
- ^ Clemons, C. (2002) "Wood-plastic Composites in the United States: The interfacing of two Industries" Forest Products Journal 52(6)
- ^ "Buzhoushan WPC Doors – Wood Plastic Composite Hollow Door / Assembled Door Manufacturer from China". www.thewpcdoor.com. Retrieved 2017-02-08.
- ^ "PRODUCERS: Decking, Railing, & Fencing". www.wpcinfo.org. Retrieved 2017-02-08.
- ^ "JELU is a manufacturer of wpc - wood plastic composite". JELUPLAST. Retrieved 2017-02-08.
- ^ "China's wpc profile making machine Manufacturer & Supplier". www.abelplas.com. Archived from the original on 2018-03-13. Retrieved 2017-02-08.
- ^ "Connect with 756 Wood Plastic Composite Manufacturers - Global Sources". www.globalsources.com. Retrieved 2017-02-08.
- ^ Introduction of WPC Wood Plastic Composite Products
- ^ "Wood-Plastic Composites production requires high formulation quality the feeding system". ktron.com.
- ^ "Wood-Plastic Composites – Green Dot Bioplastics".
- ^ Stark, N. (2001) “Influence of Moisture Absorption on Mechanical Properties of Wood Flour-Polypropylene Composites.” Journal of Thermoplastic Composite Materials 14
- ISSN 0926-6690.
- S2CID 19529734.
- ^ Gibson, Scott (2008). “Synthetic Decking” [1]. Remodeling Magazine.
- ^ "What are Ultra Polymers?". Solvay. 2014. Retrieved 2014-04-17.
- ISBN 978-1-4665-5203-6.
- ^ Hamel, S. (2011) Modeling the Time-dependent Flexural Response of Wood-plastic Composite Materials Dissertation, University of Wisconsin–Madison
- ^ Morrell, J et al.(2006) “Durability of wood-plastic composites.” Wood Design Focus 16(3)
- ^ "WPC honeycomb panels". Renolit.com. Retrieved 2014-10-07.
- ^ "Sandwich Panel Technology". EconCore.com. Retrieved 2014-10-07.
- ISBN 978-981-10-0653-1.
- ^ Washington State University Wood Plastic Composites Information Center, "Fire Issues in Engineered Wood Composites for Naval Waterfront Facilities", 46th International SAMPE Symposium and Exhibition, Long Beach, California, May 2001.
- ^ Environmental News Network, "California Fire Codes Put Focus on Plastic Decking Concerns". 5 Nov 2007.