Alaskan Timber Resources for Wood-Plastic Composites.

摘要

The goal of this study was to develop and demonstrate that commercially viable wood plastic composite products can be produced using two separate Alaskan low-value waste streams from secondary industry and woody biomass from urban wood waste lots (birch and woody biomass material (WBM)). Because of the harsh environmental exposures such products would experience in Alaska, further understanding of how environmental exposure influences mechanical properties, as well as their viscoelastic response, was also investigated. Particle size analysis of raw materials indicated a wider particle size distribution in birch and especially WBM samples relative to pine control specimens. Statistically lower diffusion coefficients associated with Alaskan material were also found during water soak testing. However, mechanical testing of specimens found no statistical difference in flexural strength, stiffness, creep recovery, or fastener withdrawal tests between any of the feedstock types.