Properties of wood plastic composites made of recycled HDPE and wood flour from CCA-treated wood removed from service

The feasibility of using recycled plastic and wood particles from chromated copper arsenate (CCA)-treated wood removed from service was investigated in this study. CCA pressure-treated red pine lumber removed from service after 21 years utilization was Wiley milled to wood flour and blended with virgin or recycled high-density polyethylene at 50:50 wood flour-to-plastic weight ratios. The blended materials were compression molded into panels and the physical and mechanical properties characterized. Samples containing particles from recycled CCA-treated pine exhibited flexural bending properties higher than those made with either particles from virgin pine or recycled urea formaldehyde bonded particleboard. The higher modulus of elasticity and modulus of rupture from CCA-treated material were attributed to the increased thermal coefficient of the solid deposits rich in copper chromium and arsenic present in the cell wall of the recycled CCA-treated wood. The biological durability and the photo-protection properties were improved for samples containing recycled CCA-treated wood. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.