Wood-Polymer Composites (WPC). I. Introduction, Properties, and Applications

Document Type : compile

Authors

1 Assistant Professor of Polymer Engineering/ Department of Polymer Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Urmia University

2 Work & Technology Group, Education Department of West Azerbaijan, Urmia, Iran

Abstract

Wood-polymer composites (WPC) are among the green composites that are environmentally friendly and renewable. These innovative composites have attractive features such as light weight, low cost, biodegradability, and suitable mechanical and physical properties. Typically, wood-polymer composites can be prepared by combining various types of thermoplastic and thermosetting polymer matrices with flour of different wood species using common polymer processing methods such as extrusion, injection molding, and compression molding. The wood particles used in these composites are divided into two general categories: softwood and hardwood, each of which has its own structure and characteristics. Considering these advantages, wood-polymer composites are often recognized as an exciting alternative to polymers, conventional polymer composites and wood, and are increasingly used in the construction, automotive, transportation, household appliances, sports equipment etc. By the way, in this article, wood-polymer composites and its components were first introduced, and then the chemical structure and properties of different types of wood species were also investigated. In the following, the mechanical, thermal, and water absorption properties of WPCs were reviewed and finally their diverse and attractive applications are stated.

Keywords

Main Subjects

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