Influence of Sawdust on the Mechanical Properties of Vinyl Plasticized Composites

The present study develops a composite material using environmental friendly materials. The influence of lignocellulosic products, as sawdust, on the mechanical properties of compound materials elaborated using a thermoplastic matrix of PVC and plasticizer, is analyzed. The results obtained for the mechanical properties: tensile strength, elastic modulus, and hardness have been analyzed focusing on the amount of plasticizer and the grain size of sawdust used. In addition, the analysis of the fracture of obtained compound materials by scanning electronic microscopy has been done to understand the behavior of the composite material. Finally, the mechanical behavior of the materials obtained based on the relation between the matrix phase of the compound material (PVC and plasticizer) and the disperse phase of sawdust is justified.