Effect of wood particle size on mechanical properties of industrial wood particle-polyethylene composites

Abstract

Summary — Industrial wood particles used for manufacturing three-layers particleboards were employed to prepare wood/PE-LD composites by an injection molding process. The effect of particle size (sieve analysis 0.25—0.5, 0.5—1, 1—2, and 2—4 mm) and of specimen cross-section size (40, 90 and 160 mm 2 ) on the mechanical properties was studied. Both these factors significantly influenced studied properties. The tensile, flexural and impact strengths properties in general increased with increasing particle size while with increasing of specimen cross-section the tensile and flexural moduli increased, and the tensile, flexural and impact strengths decreased.