On engineering of properties of wood-polypropylene composite

• Main Authors: Điporović Milanka, Miljković Jovan, Dingova Eva
• Format: Article
• Language: srp
• Published: Faculty of Forestry, Belgrade 2006-01-01
• Series: Glasnik Šumarskog Fakulteta: Univerzitet u Beogradu
• Subjects: wood plastic composites; polypropylene; wood filler; coupling agents; acetylation
• Online Access: http://www.doiserbia.nb.rs/img/doi/0353-4537/2006/0353-45370693059D.pdf

New materials based on wood have the advantage in the sense that their properties can be engineered so as to correspond to user demands. The properties which can be engineered are those relating both to their utilisation and machining, in particular - the tensile strength, elongation at break, modulus of elasticity and impact resistance. The research at the Faculty of Forestry and "Hipol" Chemical Industry related to the new type of wood-polypropylene composite. The content of wood filler was varied in the range between 40% and 70% mass contents of beech wood flour. After the highest tensile strength at 50% of filler content was determined, the effect of the wood filler origin was also examined at this content value. Therefore, wood flour of beech, poplar, acetylated pine and the waste MDF was used. The influence of the composition of the wood filler (beech combined with MDF, poplar and acetylated pine) in comparison with pure polypropylene matrix was also examined, as well as the effect of the type of coupling agent. Hopefully, the results obtained in this study might serve as the initial data for production of easily machined high-strength composites.