Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
College of Natural Resources of Mazandaran University Sari
Abstract
Wood Plastic Composite as new wood component products is made by wood fiber or powder elements with thermoset or thermoplastic materials. In recent periods of ten years the components have been produced by west industrial countries and as well in UnitedState of America as wood water resistant materials. Samples of wood plastic and untreated wood specimens of maple and elm were prepared in laboratory. The effects of water, fire and fungus (Trametes versicolor) on the wood samples with using ASTM and EN standards were investigated. The results showed that the highest resistance wood samples against fire was related to wood plastic made by polypropylene and the lowest resistance of wood samples was associated to untreated maple. In the case of floating samples in water, results indicated that increase cross section of wood plastic decreases the rate of water penetration in wood samples. The results of fungal attack in laboratory tests on wood plastic samples showed that component made by 30 % polypropylene and 30% polyethylene and 40% wood fiber is able to resist significantly against rotting fugal.
The weight loss of untreated maple samples against fungal attack was 38.5% that probably is related to being high percent of sugar and starch materials in wood species. There was a difference about 3% of weight loss between natural maple (control) and maple treated by sea water. Therefore, maple is a perishable species in wood durability classification. Heartwood of elm was very resistant to wood rotting fungus and the mean weight loss of wood samples was 3.75%. As a result in wood classification this wood specie is very durable. Appling of sea water only 0.5% increased wood resistance to fungal activity. The results of fungus attack on wood plastic showed this wood product is very resistant and during 6 weeks incubation only 3.14% of its weight was decreased.
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