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Author: Aruan Efendy Mohd Ghazali, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM)

Researchers at Teknologi MARA University in Malaysia have created a new type of durable wood-plastic composite material (WPC). The latest discoveries in the production of new materials allow researchers to develop new composite materials with better performance and more durability.

Wood plastic composite (WPC) is one of the fastest growing building components in the wood composite industry. Their popularity is due to low maintenance, high durability, and resistance to attack by termites and other insects. However, due to their high production cost and low strength in some cases, their widespread use is limited.

The focus of this study is to evaluate the applicability of the core part of kenaf in powder form (about 65% of the entire stem of the plant) as a filling material. The kenaf powder processed from its core fiber has been proven to provide a potential solution to the increasingly scarce problem of traditional filling materials. Kenaf stems contain two different fiber types, bast and core. Adding an appropriate amount of maleic anhydride modified polypropylene (MAPP) can not only bridge the interface between the kenaf core (GKC) and the plastic in the existing WPC, improve stress transfer and increase its strength and rigidity, but also allow higher filling quantity. Without sacrificing strength, stiffness or durability, reducing the amount of plastic and increasing the amount of GKC will produce more environmentally friendly WPC products.

The researchers studied the possibility of replacing wood chips with GKC and measured the mechanical properties of the resulting composite materials. They also studied the effect of increasing the amount of maleic anhydride modified polypropylene (MAPP). The material preparation includes GKC drying, then high-strength mixing with polypropylene (PP) and coupling agent (MAPP) pellets, and sending them to a counter-rotating twin-screw extruder for compounding. The mixed mixture is then fed into an injection molding machine to produce a plate with dimensions of 153mm x 153mm x 3mm. Cut the sample from the board and perform the tensile and bending test, which is repeated five times. GKC formula has the highest average tensile strength, modulus of rupture and modulus of elasticity.

The WPC of polypropylene (PP) and kenaf core (GKC) fibers, with an appropriate amount of maleic anhydride modified polypropylene (MAPP), was found to not only bridge the interface between GKC and plastic, improve stress transmission and increase their strength And stiffness, but also allow for a higher filling level of 65%. Without sacrificing strength, stiffness or durability, reducing the amount of plastic and increasing the amount of GKC will produce more environmentally friendly WPC products. The researchers suggested that it is necessary to conduct additional tests and extended studies to study the strength of WPC to the modulus of elasticity (MOE) and modulus of rupture (MOR) mechanical properties by conducting impact tests and compression tests, which may reveal the effects of high fillers New discovery loads WPC. Further exploration Researchers have developed durable plastics that can replace metals. Citation provided by Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM): Kenaf powder used to make new durable wood-plastic composite materials (October 10, 2012) November 22, 2021 from https ://phys.org search/news/2012-10-kenaf-powder-durable-wood-plastic-composite.html This document is protected by copyright. Except for any fair transaction for private learning or research purposes, no part may be copied without written permission. The content is for reference only.

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