DENSITY RANGE OF COMPRESSION-MOLDED POLYPROPYLENE-WOOD COMPOSITES

Wood and polypropylene fibers were mixed together in various proportio ns and compression-molded to boards of various specific gravities. The full theoretical specific gravity range could not be obtained even wh en the boards were cooled in the press. Voids surrounding the wood fib ers possibly were due to the shrinkage of the wood fiber following pre ssing. Bending and tension properties were influenced more by the comp ression of the wood fibers than by the percentage of wood fiber additi on.