Reprocessing of artificial UV-weathered wood flour reinforced polypropylene composites

This work aims to determine and understand the influence of UV weathering on the reprocessing of a wood-plastic composite (WPC), i.e. of a wood flour reinforced polypropylene (PP) composites. Two wood flour contents (10% w/w and 30% w/w) were studied in comparison with neat PP. Compounds were produc...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inPolymer degradation and stability Vol. 120; pp. 313 - 327
Main Authors Soccalingame, L., Perrin, D., Bénézet, J.-C., Mani, S., Coiffier, F., Richaud, E., Bergeret, A.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Elsevier Ltd 01.10.2015
Elsevier
Subjects
Biocomposites
Degradation
Engineering Sciences
Mechanical properties
Microstructure
Polypropylene
Reprocessing
UV weathering
Wood flour
Degradation
UV weathering
Polypropylene
Mechanical properties
Microstructure
Wood flour
Reprocessing
Biocomposites
Reprocessing UV weathering
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Summary:This work aims to determine and understand the influence of UV weathering on the reprocessing of a wood-plastic composite (WPC), i.e. of a wood flour reinforced polypropylene (PP) composites. Two wood flour contents (10% w/w and 30% w/w) were studied in comparison with neat PP. Compounds were produced by twin-screw extrusion. Then, ISO1A “dog bone” samples were obtained by injection molding and exposed to an artificial UV weathering using a xenon arc climatic chamber in order to simulate a long-term outdoor exposure. After this weathering stage, photo-degraded samples were submitted to grinding and injection cycles and characterized through different experimental technics. The visual evolution of the surface was followed by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. In order to understand the material physical degradation, the mechanical behavior was measured thanks to tensile, Charpy impact and DMTA (Dynamic Mechanical Thermal Analysis) tests. The assessment of the microstructural evolution was performed by differential scanning calorimetry (crystallinity ratio), size exclusion chromatography (average molecular weights) tests and infrared spectroscopy (chemical structure). Additional rheological tests assessed assumptions on degradation mechanisms.
ISSN:0141-3910
1873-2321
DOI:10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2015.07.013