Wood Plastic Composites An Overview Dr. R.Rangaprasad Product - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Wood Plastic Composites An Overview Dr. R.Rangaprasad Product - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Wood Plastic Composites An Overview Dr. R.Rangaprasad Product Application & Research Center Reliance Industries Limited IPI Seminar On Synthetic Wood Mumbai July 10 th 2003

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Wood Plastic Composites An Overview

  • Dr. R.Rangaprasad

Product Application & Research Center

Reliance Industries Limited

IPI Seminar On Synthetic Wood Mumbai July 10th 2003

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Presentation Outline

  • Introduction to Wood Plastic Composites
  • Historical Development
  • Milestones in Commercialization
  • Technology Status
  • Benefits of wood plastic composites
  • Applications
  • Future markets & business opportunities
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Definition Wood Plastic Composite ( WPC )

Any composite that contains wood & thermoset

  • r thermoplastic

Thermoset : Epoxy , Phenolics

Thermoplastics: PE, PP, PVC, PS

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Introduction

  • First Generation WPCs

Recycled woodchips / flour & binder Designed for undemanding applications

  • New Generation WPCs

High Performance products

Good mechanicals High dimensional stability Complex shapes Extruded products with high dimensional tolerance

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Introduction “The new generation WPCs are produced by mixing wood flour or fiber & plastics to produce a material that can be processed like a conventional plastic & has the best features of wood & plastic”

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Plastic Lumber

  • Recycled Plastics
  • Extruded profiles
  • May / may not include wood flour
  • Application – Sleepers on rail roads
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Historical Perspectives

  • 1900 : Bakelite ( Gear shift knobs for Rolls

Royce)

  • 1920: Birth of the WPC industry

Marriage of plastic processing & forest products industry

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Initial Impediments to Growth

  • Forest Product Industry Viewpoints

– Alien to Plastic materials – Few common material & equipment suppliers – Only exposure to vinyl sidings – Lack of Market Knowledge & application areas

  • Plastic Industry Viewpoints

– Conversant with mineral fillers & reinforcements – Aversion to wood & natural fibers

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Wood as a filler: Plastic Industry’s Viewpoints

  • Low bulk density of wood flour vis-a vis plastics

( 0.5)

  • Low specific gravity of wood
  • Low thermal stability of wood
  • Tendency to absorb moisture
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The Turn Around The last decade saw

  • Greater awareness from both sides
  • Success of several WPC products
  • Greater understanding of wood filler
  • Developments in compounding equipments
  • Development in additives
  • Emerging opportunities in large volume building

application sector

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Forest Products Industry: Change in Perception

  • WPCs :Products with little maintenance
  • Low maintenance : USP Of WPCs
  • Forest Product companies : Suppliers of WPCs

Synergize knowledge of wood flour & core competence in building products

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Milestones in The Commercialization Of WPCs

Year Company Product 1975 G.O.R., Italy Woodstock patent 1983 American Woodstock Lear Corporation 50% WF/PP sheets for thermoforming for auto interiors 1990 Strandex Corporation Highly filled WPC extruded profiles& shapes 1991 AERT Later TREX 50 % WF/PE for deckboards, picnic tables etc 1993 Andersen Corporation WF reinforced PVC sub sills for French doors & window lines

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Technology Status of WPCs

Market Potential

  • Global market size : 320,000MT in 2000
  • Expected Volume : More than double in 2005

Wood Filled Composites Natural Fiber Filled Composites

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Technology Status Of WPCs Material Attributes

Thermoplastic Material End-Use

PE Virgin & recycled Exterior building components PP Virgin Automotive Profiles PVC Virgin Building profiles & decking & windows

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Technology Status Of WPCs Polymer Attributes Selection of Thermoplastic matrix

* Inherent properties of polymer * Product requirements * Availability * Cost

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Technology Status Of WPCs Attributes of wood

  • Wood flour : Particulate, l/d 2:1 to 4:1
  • Wood fiber : Reinforcing, l/d greater than 24:1
  • Commonly used species : Pine, Maple Oak
  • Typical particle size : 10 to 80 mesh
  • Price : Indian Rs. 15 to 20/- per Kg
  • Price : Imported Rs. 35 to 45/-per Kg
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Technology Status Of WPCs Manufacture & Processing

  • Two stage Process: Compounded pellets &

shaping

  • Commonly Used processing Techniques

Sheets & profile extrusion Thermoforming Compression Molding Injection Molding

  • New Trend

In-Line Compounding & Processing

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Salient Features of Extrusion of WPCs

  • Two stage Process - compound & shaping
  • Two Extruders in tandem Twin screw

Compounding and shaping

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Extrusion of WPCs

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New Developments In Equipments

  • American Maplan Corp : Counter rotating TSE, conical &

parallel for direct extrusion

  • Woodtruder American Davis Standard ( Crompton): First

Stage drying extruder & side arm extruder for injection of polymer melt into the main extruder. Up to 80 % wood flour

  • Wilmington Machinery: 375 tons two stage injection

molding for foamed WPCs

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Manufacturing Wood / PP Composites

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Machinery For Wood PP Composites

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Additive Developments Aid Growth of WPCs

  • Tailor-made lubricants
  • Non stearate & compatibilizer package
  • Special HALS
  • Antimicrobials
  • Blowing agents
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Wood Filled PP

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Application Benefits

  • Improved dimensional stability - increased strength
  • Lower processing temperatures - less energy used
  • Increased heat deflection temperature - reduced

thermal expansion

  • Up to 30% reduced cycle time for injection moulded

products - increased productivity

  • Approximately 10 - 20% lower specific gravity
  • lighter products
  • Reduced shrinkage - lower internal shear in

pultrusion application

  • Low volumetric cost
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Conventional Fillers Vs Wood Filler

AWF Wood Flour Weight Savings Specific Gravity 40% Filled Resin - Polypropylene Flexural MOE Versus % Wood Flour

2.0 2.2 3.2 3.8 4.5 0.0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 20 30 40 50 60

% Wood Filler Flexural MOE (GPa)

1.1 1.25 1.27 1.27 1 1.05 1.1 1.15 1.2 1.25 1.3 Wood Flour (AWF - 4020) Talc Calcium Carbonate Fiberglass Fillers Weight

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Wood Filled PP Products

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Wood Filled PP Products

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Wood Filled PP Products

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Foaming Expands Possibilities For Wood Fibre / PP Composites

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Foaming Expands Possibilities For Wood Fibre / PP Composites

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Breakthrough Technology “Plastic Steel from Wood Filled PP”

  • Expanded Oriented Wood filled PP
  • Low temperature die drawing
  • Synthetic Hardwood Technologies USA
  • Automotive side beams
  • Wood look – alike

Product Flexural Modulus ( M Pa ) PP 1800 EOW PP 7585

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Die Drawing Makes Plastic Steel From Wood Filled PP

Material Flexural Strength Flexural Modulus (MPa) PP 48 1860 Wood 96 8946 O-PP 276 7585 EOW-PP 138 7585

Ram extrusion of PP / wood filled creates light weight wood-like material, even stronger than wood

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Wood Fibre Adds Stiffness & Value To Tight Tolerance Tubes

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Polypropylene Developments

Wood Filled Repol PP for Door Trims

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PVC / Wood Composites

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Outlook For The Future

  • USA: 50 % growth rate of WPCs for building products
  • ASTM Standards for building products based on WPCs
  • Automotive : 15 % growth rate

Innovation in processing & product performance

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Summary

The future of wood plastic composites will ultimately depend on many factors; including new product identification, product quality, consumer perception & performance of these materials !