Wood plastic composites (WPCs) are an important segment of the forest products industry. Applications of WPCs are typically for nonstructural applications and the market has been dominated by rail and decking products in North America while in Europe, emphasis has been on automotive applications. In China and other parts of Asia, the WPC market is experiencing considerable growth and a wider variety of product offerings. There is a great desire to create truly structural WPCs that can be used in infrastructure applications. What constitutes a structural WPC is a subject of debate, but in many instances the objective of research is to increase the mechanical properties of the composite, including stiffness or modulus of elasticity, reducing creep and brittleness. In this presentation, we will discuss research progress in the creation of structural WPCs including: manufacture of structural WPC components, synthetic fiber reinforced hybrid WPCs, cross-linked WPCs, the use of engineering plastics to manufacture WPCs and the creation of structural WPC foams. Demonstration applications of structural WPCs will also be shown and discussed.
Keywords: wood plastic composites, mechanical properties, structural, reinforced
Authors
Gardner D. J.
Wood Science and Technology, School of Forest Resources, University of Maine, Orono, USA
Han Y.
AEWC Advanced Structures and Composites Center, University of Maine, Orono, USA
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