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J. Compos. Sci.
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Wood-Polymer Composites
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Wood-Polymer Composites

A special issue of Journal of Composites Science (ISSN 2504-477X). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Composites".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2022) | Viewed by 25519

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Aleksander Hejna

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Polymer Technology, Gdansk University of Technology, Narutowicza 11/12, 80-233 Gdansk, Poland
Interests: polymer composites; reactive processing; lignocellulose fillers; filler modification; recycling; waste management; polyurethane foams
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The Journal of Composites Science is preparing a Special Issue entitled “Wood–Polymer Composites”.

Wood–polymer composite technologies are attracting increasing attention from the scientific community, positively affecting the range of their industrial applications, which include the automotive, building, and 3D printing industries. Current research on the development of this type of composite can be assigned to two main trends. The first is associated with decreasing the costs of materials used for manufacturing this type of composite (e.g., searching for new sources of lignocellulosic fillers from different kinds of agricultural wastes and applying recycled polymers). The second trend involves searching for new methods of enhancing the interfacial interactions between the polymer matrix and lignocellulose fillers that affect their final performance properties.

Moreover, bearing in mind ongoing trends and legal regulations, it is essential to consider the environmental impact of wood–polymer composites. Recent developments are often associated with their biodegradability, innovative recycling methods, and the use of waste raw materials as polymer matrices and fillers, which could reduce the composite's overall environmental impact.

Due to the richness of potential innovations and future developments, we are pleased to launch this Special Issue and invite researchers to contribute original research papers and reviews associated with the structure, performance, and applications of wood–polymer composites.

Potential topics include:

  • Innovations in the manufacturing of wood–polymer composites;
  • Enhancement of the interfacial interactions in wood–polymer composites;
  • Wood–polymer composites based on recycled and waste raw materials;
  • Structure–property relationships in wood–polymer composites;
  • Novel applications of wood–polymer composites;
  • Reduction of wood–polymer composites’ environmental impact;
  • Biodegradable and sustainable wood–polymer composites; and
  • Recycling of wood–polymer composites.

Dr. Aleksander Hejna
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Composites Science is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Wood–polymer composites
  • Lignocellulose fillers
  • Structure–property relationships
  • Interfacial interactions
  • Filler modifications
  • Waste raw materials
  • Recycling
  • Biodegradation.

Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 7001 KiB  
Article
Durability of High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE)- and Polypropylene (PP)-Based Wood-Plastic Composites—Part 1: Mechanical Properties of the Composite Materials
by Halim Hamid Redhwi, Mohammad Nahid Siddiqui, Anthony L. Andrady, Sarfaraz A. Furquan and Syed Hussain
J. Compos. Sci. 2023, 7(4), 163; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jcs7040163 - 13 Apr 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2763
Abstract
Wood-plastic composites (WPCs) have shown exceptional promise as a building material, especially for outdoor uses. Using renewable wood fiber as the reinforcing filler in WPCs increases the material’s environmental sustainability. While virgin commodity thermoplastics are primarily used in these composites, using post-consumer plastic [...] Read more.
Wood-plastic composites (WPCs) have shown exceptional promise as a building material, especially for outdoor uses. Using renewable wood fiber as the reinforcing filler in WPCs increases the material’s environmental sustainability. While virgin commodity thermoplastics are primarily used in these composites, using post-consumer plastic further contributes to their sustainability. While they are beginning to be used in the Gulf countries, information on their performance, especially durability under harsh desert climates, is sparse. The present investigation on WPCs is based on the two most popularly used thermoplastics in WPCs, virgin high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and polypropylene (PP), with the wood content varying between 0 and 36 wt. %. These were prepared with melt processing from a masterbatch and characterized primarily using thermal methods and tensile properties of their injection molded test pieces. Variations in tensile properties, especially the tensile modulus (MPa), the tensile strength (MPa), and the ultimate extensibility (%) of the composite samples were investigated to determine an optimal wood-fiber loading. For either polymer type, exceeding 27 weight percent of wood fiber resulted in unacceptably low ultimate extensibility of the material. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wood-Polymer Composites)
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11 pages, 2532 KiB  
Article
Analysis of the Segregation Phenomena of Wood Fiber Reinforced Plastics
by Elmar Moritzer, Felix Flachmann, Maximilian Richters and Marcel Neugebauer
J. Compos. Sci. 2022, 6(10), 321; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jcs6100321 - 20 Oct 2022
Viewed by 1623
Abstract
Wood–plastic composites (WPC) are enjoying a steady increase in popularity. In addition to the extrusion of decking boards, the material is also used increasingly in injection molding. Depending on the formulation, geometry and process parameters, WPC tends to exhibit irregular filling behavior, similar [...] Read more.
Wood–plastic composites (WPC) are enjoying a steady increase in popularity. In addition to the extrusion of decking boards, the material is also used increasingly in injection molding. Depending on the formulation, geometry and process parameters, WPC tends to exhibit irregular filling behavior, similar to the processing of thermosets. In this work, the influence of matrix material and wood fiber content on the flow, mold filling and segregation behavior of WPC is analyzed. For this purpose, investigations were carried out on a flow spiral and a sheet cavity. WPC based on thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) achieves significantly higher flow path lengths at a wood mass content of 30% than polypropylene (PP)-based WPC. The opposite behavior occurs at higher wood contents due to the different shear thinning behavior. Slightly decreased wood contents could be observed at the beginning of the flow path and greatly increased wood contents at the end of the flow path, compared to the starting material. When using the plate cavity, flow anomalies in the form of free jets occur as a function of the wood content, with TPU exhibiting the more critical behavior. The flow front is frayed, but in contrast to the flow spiral, no significant wood accumulation could be detected due to the shorter flow path lengths. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wood-Polymer Composites)
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14 pages, 3817 KiB  
Article
Effect of Ethylene-1-Butene as a Compatibilizer for the Optimization of Wood Flour and Ground Tyre Rubber in Polypropylene Composites
by Lefika Mosia, Mohau Justice Phiri, Kathy Garde and Shanganyane Percy Hlangothi
J. Compos. Sci. 2022, 6(8), 220; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jcs6080220 - 29 Jul 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1783
Abstract
The use of waste materials to make eco-friendly wood-polymer composites has been explored by many researchers for academic and industrial purposes due to the low cost, biodegradability, and availability of waste wood flour. Polypropylene (PP)/ground tyre rubber (GTR)/wood flour (WF) composites were prepared [...] Read more.
The use of waste materials to make eco-friendly wood-polymer composites has been explored by many researchers for academic and industrial purposes due to the low cost, biodegradability, and availability of waste wood flour. Polypropylene (PP)/ground tyre rubber (GTR)/wood flour (WF) composites were prepared using an internal batch mixer at a temperature of 165 °C for 8 min, and the samples were injection-moulded at 190 °C with a pressure of 6 MPa. The design of the experimental approach was used to determine and optimize the proportions of each component in the composites. The morphology of the untreated composites showed more voids and the agglomeration of fillers, namely WF and GTR, in the PP matrix. Fewer voids, as well as improved distribution, were observed in the compatibilized composites. The incorporation of ethylene-1-butene as a compatibilizer improved the thermal stability and elongation at the break of the composites. The addition of WF increased the elongation at break and decreased the tensile strength of the composites. Overall, the use of statistically designed experiments has aided in attaining the optimum formulations of the wood flour–polymer composites. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wood-Polymer Composites)
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13 pages, 6411 KiB  
Article
Development of Wood Polymer Composites from Recycled Wood and Plastic Waste: Thermal and Mechanical Properties
by Satya Guha Nukala, Ing Kong, Akesh Babu Kakarla, Win Kong and Wei Kong
J. Compos. Sci. 2022, 6(7), 194; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jcs6070194 - 01 Jul 2022
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 4222
Abstract
The depletion of natural resources due to the aggressive industrialization in the last decades has brought considerable attention to research aimed at developing green and sustainable products using eco-friendly materials. The purpose of the current study was to develop wood polymer composites (WPCs) [...] Read more.
The depletion of natural resources due to the aggressive industrialization in the last decades has brought considerable attention to research aimed at developing green and sustainable products using eco-friendly materials. The purpose of the current study was to develop wood polymer composites (WPCs) using recycled plastic waste (RPW) generated from university laboratories and recycled wood waste (RWW) from construction and demolition (C&D) activities by melt-blending technique. The WPCs were characterised for their mechanical and thermal properties, as well as water uptake and morphology. The SEM micrograph indicated good interaction between RWW and RPW matrix. The mechanical strength of the WPCs was found to increase from 26.59 to 34.30 MPa, with an increase of the RWW content in the matrix. The thermal stability was higher in the composite with a higher percentage of RWW in the matrix. The wettability results indicated that the composite with a higher RWW (20%) had a higher water uptake. These results suggest that the produced WPCs can be a promising environmental-friendly material, while maintaining good mechanical, thermal, and wettability properties. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wood-Polymer Composites)
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6 pages, 988 KiB  
Article
Cold Water Immersion Pretreatment of Post-Consuming Particleboards for Wood Chips Recovery by the Hydromechanical Process
by Foti Dafni, Sotirios Karastergiou and Antonios N. Papadopoulos
J. Compos. Sci. 2022, 6(4), 105; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jcs6040105 - 31 Mar 2022
Viewed by 1739
Abstract
In this research work, the effect of 20-day immersion of various types of reclaimed particleboards on thickness swelling and water absorption is investigated. This simple procedure has been chosen as the pretreatment to facilitate the chips’ recovery by the hydromechanical (water jet) method. [...] Read more.
In this research work, the effect of 20-day immersion of various types of reclaimed particleboards on thickness swelling and water absorption is investigated. This simple procedure has been chosen as the pretreatment to facilitate the chips’ recovery by the hydromechanical (water jet) method. Maximum swelling was achieved after 20-day immersion but the differences between 10 and 20-day immersion were small, indicating that the time of 10-day immersion can be chosen as the pretreatment time. It was found that the bond between wood chips’ particles was not completely failed since the permanent swelling after immersion and drying was lower than the maximum swelling. Hence, the proposed method needs to be improved by increasing the cross-section areas of particleboard samples after their breaking in order to create irregular pieces and facilitate the water action against the bond of wood particles. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wood-Polymer Composites)
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12 pages, 3707 KiB  
Article
Injection Molding of Wood-Filled Thermoplastic Polyurethane
by Elmar Moritzer and Maximilian Richters
J. Compos. Sci. 2021, 5(12), 316; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jcs5120316 - 30 Nov 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2717
Abstract
Wood fiber reinforcement of plastics is almost limited to polypropylene, polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride and polystyrene. Wood fiber reinforcement of thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU) is a new research field and paltry studied scientifically. Wood fiber reinforcement can carry out synergistic effects between sustainability, material or [...] Read more.
Wood fiber reinforcement of plastics is almost limited to polypropylene, polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride and polystyrene. Wood fiber reinforcement of thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU) is a new research field and paltry studied scientifically. Wood fiber reinforcement can carry out synergistic effects between sustainability, material or product price reduction, improved mechanical properties at high elongation, and brilliant appearance and haptics. In order to evaluate to what extent the improvement of mechanical properties depend on material-specific parameters (fiber type, fiber content) and on process-specific parameters (holding pressure, temperature control and injection speed), differently filled compounds were injection molded according to a partial factorial test plan and subjected to characterizing test procedures (tensile test, Shore hardness and notched impact test). Tensile strength showed significant dependence on barrel temperature, fiber type and interaction between holding pressure and barrel temperature in the region of interest. Young’s modulus can be influenced by fiber content but not by fiber type. Notched impact strength showed a significant influence of cylinder temperature, fiber content, fiber type and the interaction between cylinder temperature and fiber content in the region of interest. Shore hardness is related to fiber content and the interaction between mold temperature and injection flow rate. Our results show not only that wood-filled TPU can be processed very well by injection molding, but also that the mechanical properties depend significantly on temperature control in the injection-molding process. Moreover, considering the significant reinforcing effect of the wood fibers, a good fiber-matrix adhesion can be assumed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wood-Polymer Composites)
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7 pages, 997 KiB  
Article
A Study on the Effect of Construction and Demolition Waste (CDW) Plastic Fractions on the Moisture and Resistance to Indentation of Wood-Polymer Composites (WPC)
by Ville Lahtela and Timo Kärki
J. Compos. Sci. 2021, 5(8), 205; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jcs5080205 - 03 Aug 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2094
Abstract
This paper investigated the moisture and strength properties of wood-polymer composites (WPC), which were made using three different recycled polymers using wood flour as filler. The recycled polymers were acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polypropylene (PP), and polyethylene (PE), which were collected from among [...] Read more.
This paper investigated the moisture and strength properties of wood-polymer composites (WPC), which were made using three different recycled polymers using wood flour as filler. The recycled polymers were acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polypropylene (PP), and polyethylene (PE), which were collected from among the construction and demolition waste (CDW) at a local waste management center. The commercial additives, such as a coupling agent and lubricant, were also included in the materials. Composite materials were manufactured with an agglomeration and an extrusion process. Water absorption and thickness swelling properties of composites, based on the recycled ABS and PE, were restricted compared to the recycled PP. The strength properties of WPC were determined with two methods, a traditional Brinell hardness and resistance to indentation. Using an ABS polymer as a matrix in the composite, the moisture and strength properties were improved. The recycled PP polymer caused these properties to be lowered, especially in the case of moisture properties. This study has shown that the method used can affect the measured value of certain properties. In addition, the sorting of recycled polymer fractions is desirable for the appearance of improved properties. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wood-Polymer Composites)
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17 pages, 71895 KiB  
Article
Design of Tooling System and Identifying Crucial Processing Parameters for NFPC Manufacturing in Automotive Applications
by Vardaan Chauhan, Timo Kärki and Juha Varis
J. Compos. Sci. 2021, 5(7), 169; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jcs5070169 - 29 Jun 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2068
Abstract
The aim of this study was to design a tooling system for manufacturing automotive components using a natural fiber polymer composite (NFPC) material. As a case study, an automotive battery cover was selected and a compression molding tool was designed, keeping in mind [...] Read more.
The aim of this study was to design a tooling system for manufacturing automotive components using a natural fiber polymer composite (NFPC) material. As a case study, an automotive battery cover was selected and a compression molding tool was designed, keeping in mind the need for the simplicity of the tool and ensuring the low cost of this process. However, since the original part was injection-molded with virgin polypropene, some vital changes made in the part and tool design process were documented as a guideline to show new designers how to approach the design of parts and tools using a natural fiber polymer composite material. Additionally, the challenges faced during the manufacturing of composite parts with the new tool were also documented and solutions to these challenges were suggested for large-scale production. Finally, compressive testing was performed to evaluate the performance of the structure of the designed part and to compare the recycled polymer with NFPC material. Both wood and palm fiber composite material perform better in compression testing compared to the recycled polymer material. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wood-Polymer Composites)
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13 pages, 2068 KiB  
Article
Coffee Silverskin as a Multifunctional Waste Filler for High-Density Polyethylene Green Composites
by Aleksander Hejna, Mateusz Barczewski, Paulina Kosmela, Olga Mysiukiewicz and Anton Kuzmin
J. Compos. Sci. 2021, 5(2), 44; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jcs5020044 - 01 Feb 2021
Cited by 27 | Viewed by 3210
Abstract
This work aims to describe the coffee silverskin effect as a lignocellulosic waste filler for high-density polyethylene (HDPE) composites development. The main task was to determine various modification effects resulting from the complex chemical composition of coffee silverskin containing compounds with potential antioxidative [...] Read more.
This work aims to describe the coffee silverskin effect as a lignocellulosic waste filler for high-density polyethylene (HDPE) composites development. The main task was to determine various modification effects resulting from the complex chemical composition of coffee silverskin containing compounds with potential antioxidative properties, including caffeine, polyphenols, tannins, or melanoidins. The processing, thermal, physicochemical, and thermomechanical properties of the HDPE-based composites with different filler content (1–20 wt%) were evaluated. Comprehensively realized thermomechanical analysis revealed the filler’s reinforcing effects on the HDPE matrix while defining problems with obtaining adequate adhesion in the interfacial area. At the same time, studies have shown a very beneficial effect of the silverskin addition on the thermal properties of composites, that even the smallest addition allows for a significant increase in the thermooxidative resistance of HDPE composites assessed using the oxidation induction time from 20 min for HDPE up to 140 min for the composites with 20 wt% of the filler. The obtained research results allow classifying the coffee silverskin waste filler, not only as a filler intended for the production of composites with a high degree of filling but also as an additive that significantly changes the properties of polyethylene in the case of using low concentrations. This can have a very beneficial impact on the development of novel wood polymer (WPC) and natural fiber composites (NFC). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wood-Polymer Composites)
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11 pages, 6083 KiB  
Article
Biocomposites Produced from Hardwood Particles by Equal Channel Angular Pressing: Effects of Pre-Treatment
by Yu Bai, Xiaoqing Zhang and Kenong Xia
J. Compos. Sci. 2020, 4(4), 181; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jcs4040181 - 30 Nov 2020
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1680
Abstract
The benefit of using a combination of alkali pre-treatment and ball milling in processing hardwood particles into biocomposites via equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) was demonstrated. The penetration of bonding additives (polyethyleneimine and tannic acid) into hardwood structures was enhanced by the pre-treatment, [...] Read more.
The benefit of using a combination of alkali pre-treatment and ball milling in processing hardwood particles into biocomposites via equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) was demonstrated. The penetration of bonding additives (polyethyleneimine and tannic acid) into hardwood structures was enhanced by the pre-treatment, resulting in plasticization and cross-linking derived from the additives during the particle processing. A significant improvement in the biocomposites’ mechanical properties was obtained, reaching flexural strength of 28–29 MPa and flexural modulus of 3650 MPa, comparable to those displayed by commercial wood fiberboard using thermosetting resins as the binding agent. This adds to the promise of developing biocomposites from industrial or agricultural waste through the simple and efficient ECAP technology in conjunction with common pre-treatment methodologies for wood particles. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wood-Polymer Composites)
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