Injection molding of postconsumer wood-plastic composites II: Mechanical properties

In the first part of this study, fiber-reinforced microcellular foams were produced via injection molding to study their morphological properties as a function of mold temperature as well as wood, blowing agent, and coupling agent concentrations. Yellow birch wood fibers are added to a recycled postconsumer HDPE/PP matrix (85: 15 ratio) in proportions ranging from 0 to 40 wt% and then foamed with a chemical blowing agent. Maleic-anhydride-polypropylene copolymer (MAPP) is also used as a coupling agent in proportions ranging from 0 to 10 wt% of wood content. in this second part, the mechanical properties in flexion, torsion, and traction are presented.