Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: Wood–plastic composites (WPCs) utilize wood particles as the reinforcing phase. These particles are susceptible to thermal degradation, which can happen while processing the WPCs in usual thermoplastic processes. In this work, we investigated the influence of different processing parameters in injection molding and their influence on WPC properties. To achieve that, WPCs with wood contents ranging from 10 to 50 wt% were processed using different process settings, and then characterized using mechanical testing and appearance changes. We found that the melt temperature showed a major influence, due to degrading the interface between the wood and the polymer matrix, while other parameters, like mold temperature and dwell pressure, showed only minor influence. Overall, the WPCs exhibited good process stability and, with proper process settings, their performance can be improved.
Source: Journal of Composites Science
DOI: 10.3390/jcs8100403
Authors: Christoph Burgstaller, Károly Renner
Institution: University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria
Language: English
Subfield: Polymers and Plastics
Field: Materials Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,046
OpenAlex ID: W4403102756