Effect of thermal-treatment of wood fibres on properties of flat-pressed wood plastic composites

This study aimed to enhance the dimensional stability of flat-pressed wood plastic composites (WPCs) containing fast growing wood fibres by a thermal-treatment method. The wood fibres were treated at three different temperatures (120, 150, or 180 °C) for 20 or 40 min in a laboratory autoclave. The WPC panels were made from dry-blended Eucalyptus camaldulensis wood fibres and polypropylene (PP) powder (50:50 by weight) using a conventional flat-press process under laboratory conditions. Thickness swelling and water absorption of the WPC panels significantly decreased with increasing the treatment temperature and time. The thermal-treatment of eucalyptus wood fibres slightly decreased the screw withdrawal resistance of the WPC panels as compared to the reference panels while the flexural properties and internal bond strength were more seriously affected by the treatment. The present study revealed that the thermal-treatment of the wood fibres significantly improved the dimensional stability of the WPC panels.