Effect of adding steam-exploded wood flour to thermoplastic polymer/wood composite

The effect of steam-exploded wood flour (SE) added to wood flour/plastic co mposite was examined using SE from beech, Japanese cedar, and red meranti a nd three kinds of thermoplastic polymer: polymethylmethacrylate, polyvinyl chloride, and polystyrene. Addition of SE increased the fracture strength a nd water resistance of the composite board to an extent dependent on the po lymer species and the composition of wood/SE/polymer. However, water resist ance decreased with the increasing proportion of SE when SE meranti was add ed. Effects of the wood species of SE on the properties of resulting board were small. An increased moisture content of wood flour or SE (or both) inc reased the variation of board performance.