Injection molding of postconsumer wood-plastic composites I: Morphology

Abstract

In this study, fiber-reinforced microcellular foams are produced via injection molding and studied as a function of mold temperature as well as wood, blowing agent, and coupling agent concentrations. Birch wood fibers are added to a post-consumer recycled HDPE/PP matrix (85: 15 ratio) in proportions ranging from 0 to 40 wt% and then foamed. Maleic-anhydride-polypropylene copolymer (MAPP) is also used as a coupling agent in proportions ranging from 0 to 10 wt% of wood content. In this first part, the morphological analysis of composite foams is presented including cell roundness, cell size, skin thickness, void fraction, and fiber aspect ratio. © 2006 SAGE Publications.