Model for the compression failure of an irradiated tropical wood-polymer composite

Using a gamma irradiation method, some tropical wood-polymer composites were produced which exhibited a significant improvement in uniaxial compressive strength. Although compression failure models have been established for normal uniaxial fiber reinforced composites, for both direct compression failure and by microbuckling compression failure, the unique structure of wood-polymer composite does not allow these same models to adequately describe its compression failure. Experimental results indicated that the failure criterion in a uniaxial compression test for the wood-polymer composite was based on the buckling failure of the wood fiber and impregnated polymer along a shear band. Using this buckling failure criterion, a model was proposed that took into account the stiffening effect of the impregnated polymer on the wood cell wall. (author)