Some Properties of Wood Plastic Composites Made from Rubberwood, Recycled Plastic and Silica

Abstract

The objective of this work was to evaluate some of the properties of experimental wood plastic composite (WPC) panels manufactured from a low percentage of rubberwood (Hevea brasiliensis Muell. Arg), waste polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and silica at three different ratios. It was determined that water absorption values of the samples decreased with the increasing amount of PET in the panels. The lowest absorption value of 0.34% was determined for the samples having 40% PET in their content as a result of 24-h soaking. The highest hardness value of 4492 N was found for the samples made with the combination of rubberwood, PET and silica at 10%, 40% and 50%, respectively. The compressive strength of WPC specimens also followed a similar trend with the hardness characteristics of the panel and improved with increasing PET percentage. Statistical analyses revealed that values of compression strength, hardness, 2-h and 24-h water absorption of the specimens made with 20, 30, and 40% PET content resulted in significant difference from each other (p ≤ 0.0001). Based on the findings in this study it appears that increasing silica content in the samples adversely influenced their mechanical properties while creating a certain level of enhancement of water absorption of the specimens. It seems that using a combination of waste PET and a limited amount of silica with a low percentage of wood particles could have the potential to produce value-added environmentally friendly composites to be used for different applications.

Mechanical and Thermal Properties of 3D‐Printed Biocomposites of Polylactic Acid and Thermally Modified Wood Flour with Silver Nanoparticles

“…Generally, thermal treatment makes wood brittle, which negatively affects the impact bending strength of wood/polymer composites. [11,18] The increase in the wood flour content in the PLA matrix decreased the impact bending strength of the specimens.…”

“…[41] This could be due to the reduction in hydroxyl groups in holocellulose and lignin due to the thermal treatment applied to the wood. [17,18] The decrease in absorbance was due to the degradation of cellulose and an increase in the crystal fraction. [42] The sharp absorption peaks at 1078-1080 cm −1 represent the C─O stretching vibration.…”

“…When the wood is modified using various modification methods such as thermal treatment, [ 14 ] alkali treatment, [ 15 ] grafting/coupling agents, [ 16 ] and anhydride treatment, [ 17 ] the surface of the wood particles will be more hydrophobic, increasing their compatibility with the surface of the polymer matrix. [ 18 ] However, chemical modification techniques generally use chemical additives that are not environmentally friendly. Among the modification techniques, thermal treatment, generally varying from 150 to 220 °C, is one of the most commonly used environmentally friendly techniques in the wood and wood composite industry because no chemicals are used in this technique and it is a simpler method than others.…”

Thermal, structural, and morphological examination of mercerized coir fiber–reinforced composites

“…A similar kind of attempt to incorporate recycled materials in the manufacture of composites was made by Gama et al 7 They used polyurethane residue along with pine fibers and cork powder and prepared composites from 100% recycled materials that were proposed to be used as thermal and insulating materials. Waste PET bottles were used as matrix materials in a work done by Chotikhun et al 8 The manufacture of wood plastic composites (WPCs) involving rubberwood and silica. Value-added eco-friendly composites were fabricated having less water absorption and better mechanical properties.…”

Performance and Modification of Wood and Wood-Based Materials

“…It is a well-known fact that waste plastic material is a serious problem that has a negative impact on the environment. The findings of another study [3] demonstrated that environmentally friendly wood plastic composite (WPC) with different applications can be manufactured using a combination of waste polyethylene terephthalate (PET), silica, and rubberwood particles. The basic properties of this composite were also determined.…”