Continuous glass fiber reinforced wood plastic composite in extrusion process: Feasibility and processing

This article presents an experimental investigation on developing wood plastic composites reinforced with continuous glass fibers in an extrusion process. The main role of wood component in wood plastic composite is mainly as a filler to reduce cost, and not reinforcing. Adding wood component causes a noticeable reduction in strength and toughness. This will hinder their usage in load-bearing applications. In this study, a novel method for production of hybrid wood plastic composites is introduced. This manufacturing process takes the advantages of a cost-effective and flexible production line. First, E-glass rovings were impregnated with a polymer in an especially designed (impregnating) die. Then, six melt impregnated glass rovings were integrated with wood plastic composites in a single step via an extrusion process. Another unique die was designed and manufactured to feed and position the impregnated glass rovings into a round shaped wood plastic composite profile. Wood content was changed in three levels to investigate its effect on the processability and the final properties of the hybrid composites. The experimentation on the extruded hybrid wood plastic composites proved the feasibility of the process and the relative uniformity of the roving positions in the extrudate. Three-point bending tests were conducted to evaluate the flexural properties. Improvements in strength, modulus, and toughness were dramatic.