• Composites Research
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.202-208
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• 2018

In this paper, mechanical and hygroscopic properties of teak sawdust and recycled polypropylene (RPP) composites are evaluated and compared with virgin polypropylene (VPP) matrix based composites. Verities of composites are prepared by variation in the plastic types, wood plastic ratio and the addition of coupling agent in the formulations. Mixing of wood sawdust and polypropylene is done by a twin screw extruder, and then sheets of wood plastic composites (WPCs) are produced by using the compression molding method. The results show that recycled matrix composites exhibit better tensile, flexural strength with low impact strength than virgin matrix based composites. Recycled composites show low water absorption and thickness of swelling than virgin matrix based composites. The results confirm that wood content in the polymer matrix affects the performance of composites while presence maleated polypropylene (MAPP) improves the properties of the composites significantly. Developed RPP matrix composites are as useful as VPP matrix composites and have the potential to replace the wood and plastics products without any adverse effect of the plastics on the environment.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.33 no.2 s.130
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• pp.40-55
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• 2005

This study was carried out to discuss the feasibility of wood and plastic wastes as the raw materials for wood particle-plastic composites. For this purpose, composites were manufactured from coarse and fine wood particles and polypropylene fibers by nonwoven web process. And the effect of wood particle size on the performance of the composites were analyzed according to ASTM D 1037-93. In the physical properties of composites, water absorption decreased with the increase of target density and polypropylene fiber content. And the composites with fine wood particles appeared to have slightly lower water absorption than those with coarse wood particles. Thickness swelling did not vary significantly with the increase of target density but increased with the increase of wood particle content. And the composites with fine wood particles were significantly lower in thickness swelling than those with coarse wood particles. In the mechanical properties of composites, dry and wet MOR showed the increasing tendency with the increase of polypropylene fiber content and target density. Dry and wet MOE showed the increasing tendency with the increase of target density but only wet MOE exhibited the increasing tendency with the increase of polypropylene fiber content. Composites with fine wood particles appeared to be generally higher in wet MOR and MOE than those with coarse wood particles. In conclusion, composites with fine wood particles showed generally higher performance than those with coarse ones. Also, composites were significantly superior to control particleboards in the performance, especially in water absorption and thickness swelling.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.499-509
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• 2014

Wood filler is a porous and anisotropic material having different size, shape, and aspect ratio. The use of wood fillers such as wood particle, wood flour, and wood pulp in wood plastic composites (WPCs) are growing rapidly because these wood fillers give improved strength and stiffness to WPCs. However, the wood fillers have originally poor compatibility with plastic matrix affecting the mechanical properties of WPCs. Therefore, to improve compatibility between wood and plastic, numbers of physical and chemical treatments were investigated. While the various treatments led to improved performances in WPC industries using petroleum-based plastics, full biodegradation is still issues due to increased environmental concerns. Hence, bio-based plastics such as polylactide and polyhydroxybutyrate having biodegradable characteristics are being applied to WPCs, but relatively expensive prices of existing bio-based plastics prevent further uses. As conventional processing methods, extrusion, injection, and compression moldings have been used in WPC industries, but to apply WPCs to engineered or structural places, new processing methods should be developed. As one system, co-extrusion technique was introduced to WPCs and the co-extruded WPCs having core-shell structures make the extended applications of WPCs possible.

• Journal of the Korea Furniture Society
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.392-398
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• 2016

Wood-plastic composites (WPCs) composed of mainly wood flour and thermoplastics have attracted considerable attentions due to advantages of cost effectiveness, high durability, and microbial resistance. However, relatively poor fire resistance of WPCs from low thermal stability of wood and plastics prevents further uses. This study investigated the effect of expandable graphite (EG) and aluminium hydroxide (AH)/magnesium hydroxide (MH) on the properties of WPCs. The combined incorporation of both EG and metal hydroxide (i.e., AH or MH) into formulations leads to higher flexural modulus of filled composites compared to neat PP and WPC. In thermal properties, EG played an important role in improving thermal stability of filled composites by suppressing thermal decompositions of wood and PP. Moreover, EG showed better water absorption features. From this research, it can be said that EG and metal hydroxides have potentials as effective reinforcement, flame retardant, and moisture barrier.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.120-125
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• 2010

Wood-Plastic Composites (WPCs) are one of spotlighting materials for the residential construction and the industry for furniture. At this study, the limiting oxygen index (LOI) was measured by ASTM D 2863 and the cone calorimeter test was done by ISO 5660-1 to find the combustion characteristics of WPCs. In addition, the identical test was implemented to compare the combustion characteristics between the red pine and the antiseptic wood. The result of LOI measurement showed that the LOI of WPCs was lower than that of red pine or antiseptic wood. The cone calorimeter test showed that the heat release rate (HRR) of WPCs was the highest and the Peak HRR as well as the average HRR and total heat release of WPCs was higher than those of red pine or antiseptized wood

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.79-87
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• 2006

Value-added utilization of the disposed ash trees due to the infestation by Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) was explored by converting them into particleboards (PBs) and wood-plastic composites (WPCs). The experimental result showed that PB panels could be successfully manufactured from the ash wood but compaction ratio need to be higher than 1.3 in order to meet the standard requirements listed by American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Ash wood plastic composites with high density polyethylene (HDPE) and polypropylene (PP) were also prepared with additives by extrusion. Physical and mechanical properties of ash wood plastic composite compared favorably to those made of pine and maple.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.26-31
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• 2012

Wood-plastic composites represents a growing class of materials used by the residential construction industry and furniture industry. In this study, the effect of flame retardants on the flammability and mechanical properties of wood flour-high density polyethylene(HDPE) composites were studied. we were manufactured wood flour-HDPE composites by modular intermeshing co-rotating twin screw extruder with L/D ratio of 42. The flame retardant properties were used limiting oxygen index(LOI) and mechanical properties were measured by universal testing machine(UTM). The Morphological analysis of composites were analyzed by Scanning electron microscope(SEM). It was found that Ammonium polyphosphate can effectively reduce the flammability of the wood flour-HDPE composites. Marginal reduction in the mechanical properties of the composites was found with addition of flame retardants. SEM images showed that the coupling agent improved wood flour-HDPE interfacial bonding.

• Journal of Adhesion and Interface
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.1-9
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• 2002

The main goal of this study was to analyze the effect of process additives, i.e. maleated polypropylene (MAPP), and nucleating agent on the viscoelastic properties of different types of extruded polypropylene-wood plastic composites manufactured from either PP homopolymer, high crystallinity PP or PP impact copolymer using dynamic mechanical thermal analysis. And also, the esterification reaction between wood flour and maleated polypropylene, and its role in determining the mechanical properties of wood flour-polypropylene composites was investigated. The wood plastic composites were manufactured using 60% pine wood flour and 40% polypropylene on a Davis-Standard $Woodtruder^{TM}$. Dynamic mechanical thermal properties, polymer damping peaks(than ${\delta}$), storage modulus (E') and loss modulus (E") were measured using a dynamic mechanical thermal analyzer. XPS (X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy), also known as ESCA (Electron Spectroscopy for Chemical Analysis) study of wood flour treated with MAPP was performed to obtain information on the chemical nature of wood fiber before and after treatment. To analyze the effect of frequency on the dynamic mechanical properties of the various composites, DMA tests were performed over a temperature range of -20 to $100^{\circ}C$, at four different frequencies (1, 5, 10 and 25 Hz), and at a heating rate of $5^{\circ}C/min$. From these results, the activation energy of the various composite was measured using an Arrhenius relationship to investigate the effect of maleated PP and nucleating agent on the measurement of the interphase between the wood and plastic of the extruded polypropylene wood plastic composites.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.31-37
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• 1993

Composites of styrene polymers with woody fibers were prepared, and the effect of compatibilizers on their mechanical properties was evaluated. To improve the compatibility of wood fibers and the matrix polymers, styrene-maleic anhydride copolymer(SMA) and maleic anhydride-modified polymers were used as compatibilizers. As results, maleic anhydride-modified polystyrene and SMA were proved to improve the tensile strength of the molded composites, and also were evaluated as good compatibilizers for the wood fiber polystyrene composite. Cellulosic fiber (dissolving pulp) provided better reinforcement than lignocellulosic fiber(thermomechanical pulp). On the contrary in the case of the composite of wood fiber and acrylonitrile-butadiene styrene copolymer(ABS), SMA and maleic anhydride-modified acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer(MABS) did not act as compatibilizers. However, MABS was evaluated as a good polymer matrix to make wood fiber reinforced composite. The tensile properties of the composites of wood fiber and MABS were superior than those of wood fiber-ABS composites.

• Journal of the Korea Furniture Society
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.137-144
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• 2016

Wood plastic composite (WPC) is a green composite made of wood flour and thermoplastics to provide better performance by removing the defects of both wood and plastics. However, relatively low thermal stability and poor fire resistance of wood and plastics included in WPC have been still issues in using WPC as a building material for interior applications. This study investigated the effect of environmentally-friendly flame retardants (EFFRs) on the mechanical, thermal, morphological, and water absorption properties of wood flour (WF)/talc/polypropylene (PP) composites in comparison with neat PP. The whole EFFRs-filled WF/talc/PP composites showed higher values in flexural strength, flexural modulus, and impact strength compared to neat PP. In thermal properties, aluminum hydroxide (AH)-filled composite showed a $36^{\circ}C$ reduction in maximum thermal decomposition temperature ($T_{max}$) compared to neat PP, but magnesium hydroxide (MH) played an important role in improving thermal stability of filled composite by showing the highest $T_{max}$. From this research, it can be said that MH has potentials in reinforcing PP-based WPCs with improvement of thermal stability.