Preparation of wood-polymer composites using radiation

Wood-polymer composites (WPC) have been prepared of pinewood with different monomers using Gamma radiation: acrylamide, butyl acrylate, butyl methacrylate, styrene, acrylonitrile, and polyester. The polymer loading was determined as a function of monomer concentration and absorbed dose. The data show that polymer loading increases by increasing the monomer concentration. In two cases, BMA and polyester, the polymer loading decreases at high concentrations. This can be explained by the increase of the viscosity. Thus the diffusion of the compound into bulk would be slower. The absorbed dose seems to play a positive role in enhancing the polymer loading by increasing the dose. The mechanical properties, tensile and compression strength, have been improved in the most cases for all monomer concentrations or absorbed doses. Using polyester there was no improvement in the mechanical properties, and using acrylamide the improvement was at high monomer concentration.(author)