Wood-plastic composite lumber Recyclability

As an industry, the manufacture of wood plastic lumber decking is less than 15 years old. It has experienced an annual growth rate of 30% during the late 1990s (ASTM 1999). Various extrusion processes are used to manufacture wood plastic lumber and some manufacturers, to reduce weight and material costs have adopted the manufacture of hollow cross-section profiles. Wood-plastic composite lumber Recyclability

The materials used to produce wood plastic composite lumber include thermoplastic resins, most notably, low and high density polyethylene, polypropylene and polyvinyl chloride. The polymers utilized typically need to have melting temperature that is below the thermal decomposition of wood (~225 degrees C).

The wood used to manufacture these composites is mostly in the form of wood flour (typically 40 mesh or lower) or recycled paper fiber. Wood contents typically range from 20 to 60% in these composites. Additives to the composites will include processing aids (lubricants, antioxidants, acid scavengers), and property enhancers (biocides, coupling agents, inorganic fillers, fire retardants, UV stabilizers, colorants, etc).

Recycled plastic lumber has been in manufactured since the early 1980s. Plastic lumber is most commonly manufactured from post-consumer high density polyethylene (HDPE), but linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) and low density polyethylene (LDPE) are also used. These plastic feed stocks are derived from such raw materials as post-consumer milk jugs, soda. Wood plastic composite decking floor

The specific forming process, either flow molding or extrusion is dictated by the size and shape of the "Recycled Plastic Lumber" to be manufactured. If the board is a large piece with a length of no more than ten feet, then one can consider flow molding. Flow molding is the process of extruding melted plastic ddirectly from rhe plastic extruder into a mold of the shape required. However shapes that are to long or too thin will create excessive presure during the filling of the plastic lumber mold to be used succesfully.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers also became interested in using green building materials in the 1990s. Working with PLTA and Rutgers University, the Corps' Construction Engineering Research Laboratory embarked on a long-term research and development effort to explore the optimization and use of RPL products. This culminated in the groundbreaking 1997 study Development and Testing of Plastic Lumber Materials for Construction Applications.

The study found that RPL offers advantages over wood, namely resistance to rot and insects, but that the major barriers to wider adoption were lack of understanding of the property differences between wood, the lack of material specifications and design guidance. The Corps submitted its draft test methods, material specifications and usage-design guidance to the American Society of Testing Materials (ASTM).

Wood Plastic Composites (WPCs) are produced by thoroughly mixing ground wood particles and heated thermoplastic resin. The most common method of production is to extrude the material into the desired shape, though injection molding is also used. WPCs may be produced from either virgin or recycled thermoplastics including HDPE, LDPE, PVC, PP, ABS, PS, and PLA. Polyethylene based WPCs are by far the most common.

Composite decking products are building materials manufactured using a mixture of plastic and wood fiber. Composite decking materials are very popular because they require less maintenance than wood and often use recycled materials. EverGrain composite decking uses a compression molding process that produces a beautiful wood grain texture in 9 natural colors. Evergrain composite decking is easy to install and is guaranteed with a 20 year warranty against rotting, splitting, splintering or termite damage.

Fiberon Outdoor Flooring solid core, cellular PVC is more than the next generation of PVC decking. It's a new breed of building material. Lumenite is the patent pending technology that offers the ultimate performing, easiest cleaning deck that stands up to just about anything life can dish out. Recycled Wood Plastic