Wood–plastic composites as promising green-composites for automotive industries!

Published Date

July 2008, Vol.99(11):4661–4667, doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2007.09.043

Exploring Horizons in Biotechnology: A Global Venture

Review Paper

Title 

Wood–plastic composites as promising green-composites for automotive industries!

• Author 

• Alireza Ashori ^,

• Department of Chemical Industries, Iranian Research Organization for Science and Technology (IROST), P.O. Box 15815-3538, Tehran, Iran

Received 6 June 2007. Revised 6 September 2007. Accepted 10 September 2007. Available online 18 December 2007.

Abstract

Wood–plastic composite (WPC) is a very promising and sustainable green material to achieve durability without using toxic chemicals. The term WPCs refers to any composites that contain plant fiber and thermosets or thermoplastics. In comparison to other fibrous materials, plant fibers are in general suitable to reinforce plastics due to relative high strength and stiffness, low cost, low density, low CO₂ emission, biodegradability and annually renewable. Plant fibers as fillers and reinforcements for polymers are currently the fastest-growing type of polymer additives. Since automakers are aiming to make every part either recyclable or biodegradable, there still seems to be some scope for green-composites based on biodegradable polymers and plant fibers. From a technical point of view, these bio-based composites will enhance mechanical strength and acoustic performance, reduce material weight and fuel consumption, lower production cost, improve passenger safety and shatterproof performance under extreme temperature changes, and improve biodegradability for the auto interior parts.

Keywords

Composite

Wood fiber

Thermoplastic

Automotive industry

Mechanical properties

---

 Table 1

Table 1.

Fig. 1.

 Table 2

Table 2.

Fig. 2.

• ⁎ 
  Tel./fax: +98 21 88838337.

For further details log on website :
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960852407007560