Recent Advances in the Processing of Wood-Plastic Composites (Engineering Materials (32))

Wood-plastic composite (WPC) is a non-recyclable composite material lumber or timber made of recycled plastic and wood wastes which has become one of the most dynamic sectors of the plastics industry in this decade. It is used in numerous applications, such as, outdoor deck floors, railings, fences, landscaping timbers, park benches, window and door frames. This book starts with a brief glimpse at the basic structures and properties of WPCs. Aspects such as surface treatment, machinery used and testing types of WPCs are also covered. The following chapters of the book give a view of foam technology, flame retardant properties and colour retardant properties of WPCs. The way morphology affects or controls the physical and mechanical behaviours of the finished materials is discussed. Finally, the authors give an overview of the applications of wood-plastic composites in daily life. The book may serve as a source book for scientists wishing to work in this field.

Jin Kuk Kim has been teaching at Polymer Science and Engineering, School of Material Science and Engineering, Gyeongsang National University since 1989. He received his BS and MS degree in Chemical Engineering from Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea. He holds his Ph.D. degrees in Polymer Engineering from the University of Akron, USA. His main research focus is on wood fiber based solid and microcellular plastics, recycling of waste ground rubber tire, high performance elastomer, lifetime Prediction of elastomers, fuel cell rubbber gasket etc. He is having more than 175 papers in International Journals, more than 40 patents. He has already delivered more than 30 lectures at various Universities and Conferences. He authored and co-authored more than 5 books in the elastomer fields.

 

Kaushik Pal is currently working as a Senior Researcher at Polymer Science and Engineering, School of Nano and Advanced Material Engineering, Gyeongsang National University. He obtained his BE and Ph.D. degrees from Berhampur University and Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India, respectively. His main area of research is on blending of elastomer and polymer nanocomposites, sensors and actuators, high performance polymer nanocomposites, coatings, rheology, and microcellular foams etc. He received BK-21 fellowship for two years working in Republic of Korea. He already published more than 50 papers in International and National Journals. He serves as a reviewer of some Polymer related International Journal. He has edited one book entitled ‘Recent advancement in elastomeric nanocomposites’, Springer-Verlag, Germany and authored one book chapters in ‘Advances in Polymer Nanocomposites Technology’, Nova Science Publishers, USA.