Influence of Interfacial Interaction on the Foamability of Wood Fiber/HDPE Composites

Document Number: 2007-01-0577

Date Published: April 2007

Author(s):
Yoon Hwan Lee - Univ. of Toronto
Mohini Sain - Univ. of Toronto
Takashi Kuboki - Univ. of Toronto
Chul B. Park - Univ. of Toronto

Abstract:
This research presents a fundamental study of the interaction between chemically modified wood fibers and high density polyethylene (HDPE) to develop wood fiber/HDPE composites with satisfactory performance. This paper investigates the effects of the interfacial properties of HDPE and wood fibers on the rheological properties and foaming behavior of the composites. The surface characteristics of wood fiber were modified by treating the fiber with trialkoxy silane. The effectiveness of chemical surface modifications of wood fiber was characterized using FT-IR. The effect of the interfacial interaction on the foaming behavior was studied via extrusion foaming with a physical blowing agent. The rheological property of the composites with a different interfacial structure were also evaluated by using dynamic oscillatory rheometer. The experimental results indicated that the use of coupling agent was required to achieve wood fiber/HDPE composite foams with smaller, more uniform cell size and lower foam density.

File Size: 206K
Product Status: In Stock

Included in: SP-2115

See other papers presented at SAE World Congress & Exhibition, April 2007, Detroit, MI, USA, Session: Advances in Plastic Components, Processes and Technologies (Part 1 of 2)

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