JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016 - 62

process

importance of small, rounded pellets
during the production phase. They are
simply unwilling to invest in the machinery necessary to achieve uniformity
or to go through the time-consuming
drying procedures required by more
precise pellet cutting methods.

This variability in the look and feel of products made from wood-plastic composites opens these materials up to a wide range of designer preferences. Product applications have included children's toys,
dog toys, automotive interiors, patio furniture, garden edging and more.

Formula and tooling considerations
for wood-plastic composites
The ratio of wood to plastic in the chosen formula of a wood-plastic composite
will have some effect on its behaviour as
it goes through the production process.
The percentage of wood present in the
composite will have an effect on the
melt flow index (MFI), for example. As
a rule, the more wood that is added to
the composite, the lower the MFI.
The percentage of wood will also have
a bearing on the strength and stiffness
of the product. Generally speaking, the
more wood that's added, the stiffer the
product becomes. Wood can make up as
much as 70% of the total wood-plastic
composite, but the resulting stiffness
comes at the expense of the ductility of
the final product, to the point where it
may even risk becoming brittle.
Higher concentrations of wood also
shorten machine cycle times by adding
an element of dimensional stability to
the wood-plastic composite as it cools
in the mould. This structural reinforcement allows the material to be removed
at a higher temperature than a conventional plastic. At temperatures where
conventional plastics are still too soft to
be removed from their moulds, composites made with wood can successfully
be ejected.

62

If the product will be manufactured
using existing tools, the gate size and
general shape of the mould should
factor into the discussion of optimal
wood particle size. A smaller particle
will likely better serve tooling with
small gates and narrow extensions. If
other factors have already led designers
to settle on a larger wood particle size,
then it may be beneficial to redesign
the existing tooling accordingly. But,
given the existing options for different
particle sizes, this outcome should be
completely avoidable.
In general, the tooling considerations
when working with wood-plastic
composites are more or less the same as
when working with conventional plastics. Even when changes are necessary,
they can often be made as modifications
to existing tooling, rather than fromscratch reboots. This compatibility
makes beginning to work with woodplastic composites a relatively easy
transition.

When pellets are too large, they have a
tendency to melt unevenly, create additional friction and settle into a structurally inferior final product. The ideal
pellet should be about the size of a small
BB and rounded to achieve an ideal surface-to-volume ratio. These dimensions
facilitate drying and help to ensure a
smooth flow throughout the production
process. Manufacturers working with
wood-plastic composites should expect
the same shape and uniformity they
associate with traditional plastics. The
presence of organic filler is no excuse
for chaotically sized pellets.
Low moisture content, again an important consideration in any plastic production, is essential to creating high-quality
plastics with organic fillers. A properly
designed manufacturing process can
bear most of the burden of reducing the
presence of moisture. In an operation
designed to first and foremost produce
wood-plastic composite materials, much
of the machinery in the facility should

Processing considerations
for wood-plastic composites
Pellet size is an important aspect in
plastic production, no matter which
feedstock is used. It is no less true when
using wood-plastic composite pellets.
Despite this reality, some wood-plastic
composite suppliers seem to ignore the

jec composites magazine / No104 April - May 2016

The wood fibers are obtained from waste materials
generated by lumber manufacturers, which are
then processed to produce a consistent reinforcing
product. The use of these particles promotes the
reclamation of wood waste that would otherwise be
sent to landfills and ensures that no new trees are
cut down to make the product



Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016

Cover
Edito
Point of view: Thailand smiles at composites
Contents
COMPANY & BUSINESS
Agenda of Events
APPLICATIONS
Cycle
Multisectorial
Music
MARKET
Trend
Carbon
SPECIAL JEC AMERICAS 2016
Conferences
Awards
Oil & Gas
Redevelopment
Laboratory
RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
Self healing
Fibre placement
Microwave
TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATIONS
LFT
Intermediate products
Multimaterial
Manufacturing
Process
Index
In the world
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016 - Cover
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016 - 2
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016 - Edito
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016 - Point of view: Thailand smiles at composites
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016 - 5
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016 - Contents
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016 - 7
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016 - COMPANY & BUSINESS
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016 - 9
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016 - Agenda of Events
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016 - Ad1
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016 - Ad2
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016 - 11
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016 - Cycle
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016 - 13
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016 - Multisectorial
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016 - 15
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016 - Music
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016 - 17
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016 - Trend
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016 - 19
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016 - 20
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016 - 21
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016 - Carbon
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016 - 23
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016 - 24
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016 - 25
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016 - Conferences
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016 - 27
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016 - 28
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016 - Awards
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016 - 30
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016 - 31
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016 - 32
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016 - 33
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016 - Oil & Gas
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016 - 35
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016 - Redevelopment
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016 - 37
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016 - Laboratory
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016 - 39
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016 - 40
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016 - Self healing
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016 - 42
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016 - 43
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016 - Fibre placement
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016 - 45
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016 - 46
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016 - Microwave
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016 - 48
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016 - 49
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016 - 50
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016 - LFT
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016 - 52
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016 - Intermediate products
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016 - 54
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016 - Multimaterial
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016 - 56
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016 - 57
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016 - 58
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016 - Manufacturing
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016 - 60
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016 - Process
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016 - 62
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016 - 63
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016 - 64
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016 - Index
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016 - In the world
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016 - 67
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #104 - April/May 2016 - 68
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