Propiedades físicas y mecánicas de compuestos de polietileno reciclado y harinas de corteza y madera de pinus radiata fabricados mediante moldeo por inyección

Abstract

Composites made of recycled low density polyethylene and wood or bark flour of Pinus radiata D. Don were tested, the effect of the flour content and density of the composites on physical and mechanical properties were determinated. These both types of composites were prepared by injection moulding and without chemical additives at 20/80, 40/60 and 60/40 of flour/polyethylene (w/w). Several physical and mechanical properties were measured. The results were tested for comparison of means and Multiple Linear Regression Analysis (ARLM), followed by the method stepwise (SWM). The results indicate that the physical properties and the E increased with increasing flour content, while the tensile strength and the hardness tended to decline. The composites made with bark flour had higher stiffness, absorbed less water and swelled less, and show similar hardness than the composite made with wood flour, but only the composite with 20% (w/w) of bark flour showed greater tensile strength than the others composites. The content of flour was the variable that most affects the properties evaluated, except to the E and the hardness of the wood flour composites, they were most affected by their density.