Development of a Wood Fiber Panel Product Containing Polypropylene/Polyester Bicomponent Fiber

摘要

The feasibility of manufacturing engineered wood composites with nonwoven textile technology was investigated. Recently, technology has evolved for combining wood fibers with plastics to make panel products. Polypropylene and polyethylene are most commonly used due to cost, ease of processing, and compatibility with wood fibers. Attempts have been made to incorporate stronger polymer fibers into a wood product, but these have been limited by problems associated with wood fiber and polymer adhesion. Fibers from polymer blends have been increasingly used to modify the physical properties of fabrics. These bicomponent fibers consist of at least two components, running parallel in the fiber throughout the length. Each of the components of the fiber retains its own characteristic properties. Bicomponent fibers are classified as side-by-side, sheath core, and sea-island. With sheath-core fibers, the core component is completely surrounded by the sheath component. The sheath component has areas of interaction with the core and the surrounding medium. Commonly, the sheath polymer has a lower melting temperature than the core. During heating, the sheath will melt and diffuse through the surrounding fibers, acting as a binder. This study focused on the development of a wood/ bicomponent fiber composite panel. A polypropylene/ polyester bicomponent fiber was blended (10%, 30%, and 50% by weight) with the wood fiber prior to the application of resin. The panels were pressed to 12.5 mm at 177°C for 3 minutes. The polypropylene sheath of the bicomponent fiber melts at 168°C, leaving the polyester core intact. The panels were tested and compared to medium density fiberboard manufactured using the same process parameters. Significant improvements were seen in both physical and mechanical properties of the panels containing the bicomponent fibers.