Performance properties of plywood composites reinforced with carbon fibers

Radosław Auriga,Aneta Gumowska,Karol Szymanowski,Anita Wronka,Eduardo Robles,Przemysław Ocipka,Grzegorz Kowaluk

doi:10.1016/j.compstruct.2020.112533

Abstract

In this study, carbon fibers were added as a reinforcement layer between wood veneers bonded with melamine-urea–formaldehyde (MUF) resin to improve properties of standard wood laminated composite. Two different fiber orientations were tested, being parallel and perpendicular to the veneers. In addition, two different locations were evaluated. Internal, surrounding the core veneer, and external, below the surface veneer. Flexural properties, water absorption, density, cutting force, and tensile shear strength were tested and evaluated. Results showed that reinforcing plywood panels with carbon fibers increased both MOR and MOE. The cutting force showed better results for composite panels with CF in a perpendicular orientation. Moreover, the water uptake and thickness swelling after 24 h showed better results for fibers in the core layer, either parallel or perpendicular.

Highlights

Wood and wood‐based composites are widely applied in construction, furniture, decking, façades, etc. due to their excellent properties, their natural origin, and their appearance
An increase of static bending strength was observed for all plywood made with the addition of carbon fibers compared to the unmodified plywood (RE) (Fig. 1)
The Mechanical properties The static bending strength (MOR) and modulus of elasticity (MOE) show that the panels elaborated with a parallel orientation had higher MOR and MOE than those made with the perpendicular orientation

Summary

Introduction

Wood and wood‐based composites are widely applied in construction, furniture, decking, façades, etc. due to their excellent properties, their natural origin, and their appearance. Wood‐based composites are often used in structural applications as alternative materials to solid wood, as they present better dimensional stability and durability. Among the most used wood‐based composites are layered materials, such as plywood or laminated veneer lumber (LVL), which are layered composites with better strength properties than the raw material itself. The three main types of fibers used in the polymer matrix include glass fibers, carbon fibers, and synthetic polymer fibers (such as Kevlar and aramid). In recent years, these fibers have been used for reinforcing LVL [5,6,7,8,9]. It was found that plain weave carbon fiber to strengthen LVL produced from heat‐treated (160, 190, 220 °C) beech veneers (Fagus orientalis L.) [10]

Methods

Results

Conclusion