Preparation and Properties of Some Wood-Plastic Cornbinations Involving Some Tropical Commercial Woods

Abstract

Radiation-induced wood-polymer composites have been prepared using some tropical commercial woods. These included Kapur (Dryobalanop sp.), Kempas (Koompassia sp.), Red Seraya (Shorea sp.), White Seraya (Parashorea sp.), and Jelutong (Dyera sp.). The wood specimens were modified by impregnation with monomers and followed by exposure to gamma radiation. Monomer systems used were methyl methacrylate, methyl methacrylate with 5% dioxane, acrylonitrile, 60:40 styrene-acrylonitrile comonomer, vinyl acetate, and vinylidene chloride. The resulting composite specimens exhibited significant increases in hardness and compressive strength, the extent of which appeared to depend on the amount and type of polymer present. Dimensional stability increased when the woods were impregnated with polymethyl methacrylate and improved further to about 35% on addition of a swelling agent, dioxane. Wood-polyvinylidene chloride composites gave high fire resistance as opposed to wood-polymethyl methacrylate which showed increased flammability. A 4-fold decrease in weight loss was observed in the fire-tube and crib tests conducted. The impregnated polymers were not totally resistant to termites. The polymers, not being nutrients, reduced the number of survivals after a 90-d test period. Polystyrene-acrylonitrile appeared toxic to the termites.