Abstract
Secondary processing of non-woven wood and wood/thermoplastic fiber mats is generally performed using compression molding, where heated platens or dies form the final product. Although the study and use of wood-fiber composites is widespread, few research efforts have explicitly described the fundamentals of mat consolidation. In contrast, the wood composite literature has prolifically addressed the compression of wood-strand composites. Models developed for wood-strand composites and powders are reviewed and applied to experimental data for compression of wood and wood/polypropylene (PP) fiber mats. The compression response was monitored during consolidation with varying platen temperatures, densities, and PP content. A model developed from the relationship between the instantaneous modulus and relative density was found to fit the compression of the non-woven fiber mats. The consolidation behavior was analogous to previous work with wood-fiber composites and found to be influenced by the PP content and strain rate.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 273-279 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing |
Volume | 35 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Feb 2004 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Ceramics and Composites
- Mechanics of Materials