Wood Polymer Composite Based on a Styrene and Triethoxy(Vinylphenethyl)silane

Abstract

Today obtaining environmentally friendly wood composite materials is one of the main tasks. The urea-, phenol-, and melamine-formaldehyde resins used today are harmful to the human body and have a long-lasting effect. Therefore, replacing these and other resins with safe binders is one of the major problems. The aim of the work was to obtain and research ecologically safe wood polymer composites-deckings based on a new environmentally safe binder and a reinforcing agent triethoxy(vinylphenethyl)silane and styrene (in-situ polymerization) with a pine sawdust filler and aluminum hydroxide as an antioxidant. On the basis of triethoxy(vinylphenethyl)silane, styrene, and sawdust, the wood polymer composites – deckings have been obtained by hot pressing method at different temperatures and ratios of used components in the presence of antioxidant. For deckings surface, a morphological examination using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopic (SEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray roentgenographic microanalysis were performed. Water absorption, softening temperature (Vicat), strength on bending, and impact viscosity were determined. Besides, using sawdust as coupling and reinforcement agents, and aluminum hydroxide as an antioxidant, wood polymer composites (WPC) were obtained by hot pressing at different tempe¬ratures. For the obtained composites, the morphological study of the surface was carried out using optical micro¬scopy and scanning electron microscopy, energy disper¬sive X-ray microanalysis. Water absorption of compo¬sites, bending yield stress, impact strength, and softening temperature were determined by the Vicat method. The obtained composites were characterized by higher phy-sicomechanical properties and water absorption.