Cascading use is the efficient utilization of resources by using residues and recycled materials to extend the total biomass availability within a given system. Cascading use of wood takes place when wood is processed into a product and this product or occurring residues are used at least once more either for material or energy purposes. Currently, fibers of medium density (MDF) and high density fiberboards (HDF) are not recovered but burned for energy production in many countries. The study aims at recovering fibers from fiberboards and production residues, and reusing them as reinforcement elements in wood polymer composites (WPC). Recovered fiber material was generated by thermal hydrolytic disintegration of MDFs and HDFs bonded with urea-formaldehyde resin (UF). Various formulations of recovered fibers and polypropylene (PP) were used with or without addition of the coupling agent maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene (MAPP) to manufacture WPC using a co-rotating extruder. Test specimens were produced via injection molding, and test specimens were produced. Specimens containing native (conventional TMP) fibers served as reference with respect to mechanical, physical and chemical properties. WPC produced from recovered fibers exhibited higher values than WPC produced from native fibers in regard to flexural strength and tensile strength as well as moisture absorption, especially when MAPP was added. The study is still ongoing and further conducted for melamine urea-formaldehyde (MUF) bonded MDFs and HDFs.
Keywords: cascade use, fiberboard, wood polymer composites, recycling, mechanical properties
Authors
Bütün F.Y.
Department of Wood Biology and Wood Products, Georg-August-Universität, Göttingen, Germany
Schöpper C.
Department of Wood Biology and Wood Products, Georg-August-Universität, Göttingen, Germany
Mai C.
Department of Wood Biology and Wood Products, Georg-August-Universität, Göttingen, Germany
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