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RESEARCH PRODUCT
Accelerated weathering of polypropylene/wood flour composites
F. P. La MantiaMarco Morrealesubject
PolypropyleneMaterials sciencePolymers and PlasticsConcentration effectCompression moldingWood flourWeatheringCondensed Matter Physicschemistry.chemical_compoundchemistryMechanics of MaterialsMaterials ChemistryExtrusionFourier transform infrared spectroscopyComposite materialElastic modulusdescription
Abstract Wood–plastic composites (WPCs) have received increasing attention during the last decades, because of many advantages related to their use. Some of their main applications are represented by outdoor furnishing and decking; therefore, it is important to assess their behaviour under UV exposure. In this work, polypropylene/wood flour composites were prepared and their resistance to photooxidation investigated. The composites were prepared by extrusion and compression moulding, and were subjected to mechanical tests, FTIR analysis and molecular weight measurements. The results showed that the composites retained a higher fraction of the original mechanical properties after accelerated weathering; the wood flour did not significantly degrade throughout the irradiation time slot of the investigation and the composites kept a higher percentage of the original molecular weight.
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-07-01 | Polymer Degradation and Stability |