A modular extrusion die design to produce continuous glass fibers reinforced PVC‐wood composite profiles

Abstract

This paper presents design and manufacture of a modular die to produce profiles of wood plastic composites (WPCs) reinforced with continuous glass fibers. As the strength and fracture toughness of WPCs are not convincing for load bearing applications, strengthening WPC profiles with continuous fibers could provide sufficient strength to meet the requirements. In this study, a modular profile die with various cross sections, i.e., I‐, U‐, and rectangular‐shaped was designed and manufactured. The approach to balance the flow for the various sections was to implement a flow restricting mechanism along the melt flow path. Impregnated glass rovings (IMGRs) were introduced continuously into the flow to reinforce the profiles through specially designed guides. Experimentations indicated the sound performance of the designed and implemented modular die. Three point bending tests were carried out to evaluate the flexural properties. Improvements in flexural strength and modulus were noticeable. The highest improvement in bending strength with four glass fibers was observed to be 23%, 38%, and 58% for I‐, U‐, and rectangular‐shaped profiles, respectively. POLYM. COMPOS., 39:2268–2276, 2018. © 2016 Society of Plastics Engineers

Mechanical properties of extruded continuous glass fiber reinforced wood Particle/HDPE composites: Effects of glass bundle tex and arrangement

“…Several studies devoted to the improvement of the mechanical properties of WPCs have been published. [8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26] The main methods used included adding compatibilizer, 12,13 wood flour treatment and adding reinforcements. [14][15][16][17] These methods are reported to impart considerable improvements in the mechanical strengths of WPCs (i.e., tensile, flexural, and toughness).…”

“…Further, Kevlar, glass, and carbon fibers can improve the strength and toughness of the WPC, especially when using long fibers. [18][19][20][21][22] Several 1 studies broadly examined the short fibers of carbon, Kevlar, and glass for reinforcement resulted in some increase in the mechanical strength of WPCs to some limited extent. 8,[23][24][25] It should be noted that the mechanical strengths of WPCs vary based on the type and content of the fibers.…”

“…Following our previous works on glass roving embedding into the extruded WPCs, 18,[20][21][22] a unique modular die with the capability of embedding a larger number of rovings of high tex (i.e., 14 continuous fiber bundles up to 4800 tex) was designed and manufactured in the current study. The purpose was to embed a high reinforcement content in the limited available space and at the most effective locations.…”