Performance of Wood-Polymer Composite Prepared by In Situ Polymerization of Styrene

2010 ◽  
Vol 26-28 ◽  
pp. 181-185 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yong Feng Li ◽  
Xin Meng ◽  
Jian Li ◽  
Yi Xing Liu

A new material was prepared by formation of polystyrene in situ wood porous structure from styrene monomer through thermal-catalyst treatment. And the performance of such wood-polymer composite, containing mechanical properties and durability, was also tested. The SEM results showed that polymer was generated inside wood, and filled in wood cellular structure. The mechanical properties of such wood-polystyrene composite including modulus of rupture (MOR), modulus of elasticity (MOE), compression strength and hardness, were respectively improved 38%, 77%, 21% and 97% over untreated wood. And the durability of the novel composite involving dimensional stability, decay resistance and stability against weather erosion were remarkably improved than those of untreated wood. Such composite can be widely used in fields of construction, traffic and interior decoration, which greatly enhanced the utilization of low-valued wood material instead of high-quality wood.

2010 ◽  
Vol 34-35 ◽  
pp. 1165-1169 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yong Feng Li ◽  
Bao Gang Wang ◽  
Qi Liang Fu ◽  
Yi Xing Liu ◽  
Xiao Ying Dong

In order to improve the value-added applications of low-quality wood, a novel composite, wood-polymer composite, was fabricated by in-situ terpolymerization of MMA, VAc and St within wood porous structure. The structure of the composite and the reaction of monomers within wood were both analyzed by SEM and FTIR, and the mechanical properties were also evaluated. The SEM observation showed that the polymer mainly filled up wood pores, suggesting good polymerizating crafts. The FTIR results indicated that under the employed crafts, three monomers terpolymerized in wood porous structure, and grafted onto wood matrix through reaction of ester group from monomers and hydroxyl group from wood components, suggesting chemical combination between the two phases. The mechanical properties of the wood-polymer composite involving modulus of rupture, compressive strength, wearability and hardness were improved 69%, 68%, 36% and 210% over those of untreated wood, respectively. Such method seems to be an effective way to converting low-quality wood to high-quality wood.


2012 ◽  
Vol 166-169 ◽  
pp. 2938-2941 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yong Feng Li ◽  
Ding Wang Gong ◽  
Xiao Ying Dong ◽  
Zhen Bo Liu

Fast-growing poplar wood, Populus ussuriensis Kom, was used to prepare novel wood-polymer composite by the in-situ polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) and styrene (St). SEM observation and FTIR analysis indicated that the resulted polymer well filled up wood cell lumen and physically reinforce wood matrix. The test results also proved that the mechanical properties of wood including modulus of rupture, modulus of elasticity, compression strength and hardness of were improved by 68.28%, 110.27%, 62.43%, 357% over those of Untreated Wood, respectively. Such wood-based composite could be potentially used as reinforced material in construction fields.


2010 ◽  
Vol 160-162 ◽  
pp. 640-643
Author(s):  
Yong Feng Li ◽  
Duo Jun Lv ◽  
Chi Jiang ◽  
Yi Xing Liu ◽  
Hong Yue Zhang

A new composite, wood-polymer composite, was fabricated by formation of poly (methyl methacrylate) in wood cellular structure. Methyl methacrylate (MMA) monomer and a few of 2,2'- azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as an initiator, as well as several drops of pyrimidine as catalyst were first impregnated into wood porous structure under a pressure condition, and then initiated for thermal polymerization through a catalyst-thermal treatment. The mechanical properties of the composite were tested, and the composite was also analyzed by SEM and DSC to further correlate its performance. The results indicated that the modulus of rupture, modulus of elasticity, compression strength and hardness of Wood-PMMA Composite were improved by 68.28%, 110.27%, 62.43%, 357% over those of Untreated Wood, respectively. The SEM observations showed that PMMA generated and filled up wood pores under the employed conditions, and thus reinforced the mechanical properties of wood. DSC analysis suggested that Wood-PMMA Composite was more thermal stability than Untreated Wood as the formation of PMMA within wood pores.


2009 ◽  
Vol 79-82 ◽  
pp. 1527-1530
Author(s):  
Yong Feng Li ◽  
Yi Xing Liu ◽  
Hai Peng Yu ◽  
Wen Shuai Chen

Wood as a porous structure has weak durability and unsatisfactory mechanical properties which limits its utilization. For this reason, the study presents a two-step method to prepare a new modified wood material—Wood Polymer Composite. Maleic anhydride(Man) firstly penetrates into the porous structure of wood, followed by a reaction with wood cell walls. Then, Styrene(St) with some Man and a few amount of initiator, AIBN, permeate through the whole wood and react with the above modified wood. The structural characterization of wood polymer composite with SEM and FTIR indicates that Man reacts successfully with the hydroxyl group of wood cell wall by its anhydride group, and further reacts fully with styrene as a free radical copolymerization form by its double bond; and thus the polymer fills in wood cell lumina as a solid form, which combines the wood cell walls without any evident crack. The testing results of properties show that the mechanical properties of wood polymer composite increase by about 50%-250% over those of unmodified wood, and its durability improve 1.9-4.89 times than untreated wood.


2012 ◽  
Vol 571 ◽  
pp. 69-72
Author(s):  
Ding Wang Gong ◽  
Zhen Bo Liu ◽  
Hua Wei Huang ◽  
Chang Qing Zhang ◽  
Chen Liang

Fast-growing plant wood, Micheliamacclurel wood, was modified by formation of wood-polymer composite to improve its decay resistance. Two functional monomers, glycidyl methacrylate and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate, added with a few Azo-bis-isobutryonitrile as initiator, and maleic anhydride as catalyst, were first impregnated into wood cell lumen under a vacuum-pressure condition, and then in-situ polymerized into copolymers through a catalyst-thermal treatment. The decay resistances of untreated wood and wood-polymer composites were assessed by weight loss and compared by SEM observations. SEM and FTIR analysis indicated that the in-situ polymerized copolymers fully filled up wood cell lumen and also grafted onto wood cell walls, resulting in the blockage of passages for microorganisms and moisture to wood cell walls. Thus, the decay resistance of the wood-polymer composite against brown rot fungus and white rot fungus in terms of weight loss achieved 1.04%~1.33%, improved 95.10%~95.35% than those of untreated Micheliamacclurel wood; and also higher than that of boron-treated wood. The SEM observations presented the remarkable improvement of decay resistance of wood after such treatment, which effectively protected wood from degradation by fungi.


2011 ◽  
Vol 264-265 ◽  
pp. 819-824 ◽  
Author(s):  
Md. Rezaur Rahman ◽  
Sinin Hamdan ◽  
M. Saiful Islam ◽  
Md. Shahjahan Mondol

In Malaysia, especially Borneo Island Sarawak has a large scale of tropical wood species. In this study, selected raw tropical wood species namely Artocarpus Elasticus, Artocarpus Rigidus, Xylopia Spp, Koompassia Malaccensis and Eugenia Spp were chemically treated with sodium meta periodate to convert them into wood polymer composites. Manufactured wood polymer composites were characterized using mechanical testing (modulus of elasticity (MOE), modulus of rupture (MOR), static Young’s modulus) and decay resistance test. Modulus of elasticity and modulus of rupture were calculated using three point bending test. Static Young’s modulus and decay resistance were calculated using compression parallel to gain test and natural laboratory decay test respectively. The manufactured wood polymer composites yielded higher modulus of elasticity, modulus of rupture and static Young’s modulus. Wood polymer composite had high resistant to decay exposure, while Eugenia Spp wood polymer composite had highly resistant compared to the other ones.


2010 ◽  
Vol 150-151 ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Yong Feng Li ◽  
Chi Jiang ◽  
Duo Jun Lv ◽  
Xiao Ying Dong ◽  
Yi Xing Liu

In order to improve the value-added applications of low-quality wood, a novel Wood-Polymer Composite was fabricated by in-situ synthesis of copolymer from monomers within wood porous structure. The structure was characterized with SEM and FTIR, and its dimensional stability was also tested. The SEM observations showed that copolymer filled up wood pores and contact tightly with wood matrix, indicating strong interactions between them. FTIR analysis indicated that when the monomers copolymerized in situ wood porous structure, they also reacted with wood matrix by reaction of hydroxyl groups and ester groups, indicating chemical bond between the two phases, which is agreement with SEM observations. The volume swelling efficiency and contact angle of such composite were higher than those of wood, respectively, indicating good dimensional stability involving volume swelling efficiency and contact angle. Such composite could be potentially applied in fields of construction, traffic and indoor decoration.


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