MOISTURE PERFORMANCE OF WOOD-PLASTIC COMPOSITES REINFORCED WITH EXTRACTED AND DELIGNIFIED WOOD FLOUR

摘要

This study investigated the effect of using extracted and delignified wood flour on water sorption properties of wood-plastic composites. Wood flour (WF) extraction was performed with three solvent systems: toluene/ethanol (TE), acetone/water (AW), and hot water (HW); delignification was conducted using sodium chlorite/acetic acid solution. A 2~4 full-factorial experimental design was employed to determine the effects of treatments and combinations of treatments. WF/HDPE composites for testing were manufactured using extrusion and injection molding. Compared with composites containing untreated WF, composites produced with extracted WF had lower water absorption rates and composites containing delignified WF had higher water absorption rates.