Wood-polymer composite: physical and mechanical properties of some wood species impregnated with styrene and methyl methacrylate

Abstract

This study aimed to demonstrate the feasibility of obtaining wood-polymer composites (WPC) displaying a performance superior to that of untreated wood from reforested genera. To this end, wood samples of Pine (Pinus caribaea) and Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus grandis), whose density is compatible with this process, were impregnated with the polymeric monomers styrene and methyl methacrylate, using benzoyl peroxide to initiate the polymerization process forming free radicals. The vacuum-pressure method was used to impregnate the samples with monomer-initiator solution. The results indicated a significant improvement of all the properties investigated, including dimensional stability, for the Pine-WPC, while Eucalyptus-WPC, owing to the wood's low permeability, showed only increased values of hardness parallel and perpendicular to grain

Improving dimensional stability and durability of wood polymer composites by grafting polystyrene onto wood cell walls

“…Wood polymer composites (WPCs), which are prepared by impregnating wood materials with low‐molecular‐weight molecules and unsaturated monomers followed by in situ polymerization, is a successful approach to improving wood performance that has gained popularity in the past few decades . WPCs exhibit improved mechanical strength, enhanced dimensional stability, and better resistance to biodeterioration than untreated wood . It is commonly accepted that dimensional stability increases to a great extent when modification takes place in wood cell walls rather than in cell lumens.…”

Wood-Polymer Composites

“…In hardwoods, pores (vessels) provide major longitudinal flow paths for fluids, while in softwoods, pits between pores and fibers, fiber lumens, and rays also play important roles in fluid flow, which commonly results in the poor impregnation of softwoods. Also, softwoods usually have lower density than hardwoods, requiring more treating chemical for comparable properties (Schaudy & Proksch, 1982;Schneider, 1994;Stolf & Lahr, 2004;Witt et al, 1977Witt et al, , 1981. In other words, most of hardwoods have the common denominator that they have a relatively open pore structure and minimum anmunt of pore blockage so that impregnant can be forced into the cell structure in a cost effective time frame.…”

Clay Dispersed Styrene-co-Glycidyl Methacrylate Impregnated Kumpang Wood Polymer Nanocomposites: Impact on Mechanical and Morphological Properties

“…Eucalyptus grandis does not exhibit good mechanical performance because of its low permeability for impregnation of styrene and methyl methacrylate monomers (Stolf and Lahr 2004). However, wood flour coated with the hydrophilic-hydrophobic blockcopolymer based on styrene and acrylic acid shows a significant improvement in the ultimate tensile properties of the composite (Kosonen et al 2000).…”