Feasibility of Using Mountain Pine Beetle-Attacked Wood to Produce Wood-Plastic Composites: Preliminary Work
Keywords:
Mountain pine beetle, MPB, wood-plastic composites, WPCs, lodgepole pine, high-density polyethylene, HDPE, injection-moldingAbstract
This study investigates the feasibility of using mountain pine beetle (MPB) (Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins)-killed lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia Engelm) to manufacture wood- plastic composites (WPCs). Preliminary formulations of various flour sizes (20, 40, 60, and 80 mesh), wood contents (40, 50, and 60%), and corresponding contents of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) without additives were used to make strip-like specimens. Extrusion and injection molding were performed to fabricate specimens for investigation of mechanical properties. A simple tensile experiment was conducted to select an appropriate formulation. The injection-molded MPB-wood-HDPE composites resulted in properties that were comparable with a commercial product and other similar studies. MPB wood showed great potential to be a raw material of WPC products.References
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