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Title:	Effects of raw materials on the properties of wood fiber-polyethylene composites--part 3: effect of a compatibilizer and wood adhesive on the interfacial adhesion of wood/plastic composites
Author(s):	Hwang, Chin-yin; Hse, Chung-yun; Shupe, Todd F.
Date:	2008
Source:	Forest Products Journal, Vol. 59(5): 66-72
Description:	The objective of this study was to examine the effect of maleated polypropylene compatabilizer on the interfacial properties of wood and polyolefins. Birch wood dowels containing an adhesive applied on the surface were embedded in molten plastic matrices using specially designed jigs. The three plastics investigated included low density polyethylene (LFPE), linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE), and polypropylene (PP). The four adhesives used were urea formaldehyde (UF), phenol formaldehyde (PF), isocyanate (ISO), and a control group that did not contain any adhesive. A low molecular weight emulsion type MAPP, Epolene (E-43) was used at concentrations of 0 (control), 10 percent, 20 percent, 30 percent, and 40 percent. Modified single-fiber pull-out tests were performed to investigate the interrelationships between a four-component system of woodadhesive-compatibilizer-plastic, simulating the interphase of a wood-thermoplastic composite. The interfacial shear strength as measured by the modified single-fiber pull-out test indicated that the overall average interfacial shear strength was highest in PP and lowest in LDPE. ISO-bonded LDPE without E-43 treatment showed the highest interfacial shear strength among all other LDPE composites. The E-43-treated wood surfaces without adhesive displayed overall superior performance than all adhesive bonded LLDPE. Addition of E-43 greatly enhanced the interfacial shear strength for all plastic types, except for ISO-bonded LDPE and LLDPE. The effect of E-43 was most pronounced in PP and less in LDPE and LLDPE. Adhesive failure prevailed in LDPE and LLDPE composites while PP showed predominately cohesive failures in the wood dowel or in the plastic matrix.
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