Wood-Plastic Composites Improved with Glass
Wood-plastic composites are widely used, particularly in building applications. Two drawbacks of these composites, however, are their high density and low stiffness. In cooperation with 3M, Forest Products Laboratory researchers are adding hollow glass microspheres to wood-plastic composites, making them stiffer, lighter, and more easily fastened.
Wood-plastic composites combine wood flour, plastics, and small amounts of other materials to produce a composite with a favorable balance of properties. These composites are a major outlet for recycled film and are often used in exterior building applications including roofing, fencing, siding, window and door profiles, railings, and especially in decking. These materials are also more easily fastened using standard fasteners such as nails and screws.
Optimization of processing parameters was important to prevent the hollow glass microspheres from breaking under the high pressures used in producing these next-generation composite materials.
|Improvements in processing characteristics and engineering properties of wood flour-filled high density polyethylene composite sheeting in the presence of hollow glass microspheres||(publication)|
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