| Abstract [eng] |
In this research study, the Spruce Pine wood flour is used as a filler material with the low density Polyethylene to prepare composites without adding any inorganic fillers. Considering the advantages and need of environment safety, cost effect, low maintenance, good weather resistance and high dimensional stability the wood polymer composites are used and it requires more improvements in future. This Research is based on the effect of processing conditions and compositions of wood polymer composites tested under some technical properties like Mechanical, thermal and morphological properties. For preparing specimens to this study, the wood flour and LDPE material mixed together and extruded at 150°C in co-rotating twin screw extruder. Later the extruded materials is used to melt in the glass tube by using gravimetric casting machine for 130°C at 3mm/min heater movement speed to prepare test specimen. For material characterization, the tensile test, bending test, charpy test, DSC test and optical microscope for microstructure are the tests conducted and results are plotted in graph and compared with the composition of wood materials. For the testing, 0%, 20% and 40% of wood filler content is used. However, the results from mechanical, thermal and morphological properties represents that the addition of wood filler contents improves the strength and stiffness of the material, and decreases the characteristics ductility to brittleness. In thermal properties, there is no significant changes between the virgin LDPE and addition of wood contents (20% and 40%). Microstructure shows that the pure plastics has mixed and melt properly, in 20% wood filled polymer content the filler material is enriched in some places it leads to some minor changes in properties. In 40% content, the wood filler has enriched grains in particular place without mesh with polymer. There is more chance to create void, it may affect the material strength. |
