DURABILE WOOD-BASED PRODUCTS/COMPOSITES FROM RECYCLED WOOD AND PLASTIC MATERIALS

Nearly all of the 1.5 million homes constructed in the United States each year have light frames made of wood. Wood and wood-based composites are being utilized in both interior and exterior applications and frequently are the principal structural elements in buildings. These applications include sheathing, floor, I-beams, door and window components, joists, and molded wall panels as both skin and structural elements. Wood, unless protected, is naturally degraded by combinations of heat, moisture, insects, decay, mold and other forces such as hurricanes and floods. All of these are common to the southern states, including Alabama, California, Florida, Louisiana, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Hawaii. For example, the most common destructive element currently at the forefront is the Formosan subterranean termite (Coptotermes Formosanus). Formosan subterranean termites are recognized as the most destructive insect in Louisiana, costing an estimated $500 million per year to homeowners in structure damage, repair and treatment, with approximately $350 million of that in New Orleans alone. The high humidity and heat in the region also provide a fertile atmosphere for growth of decay and mold inside walls and attics. New generation wood-based composites (e.g., wood plastic composites) and chemically treated wood offer enhanced long-term durability for wood-based structures. Technological feasibility to manufacture the composite materials from treated wood and recycled plastics must be quantified. The proposal project consists of two major components - 1) development of technologically feasible and economically acceptable solutions of using wood fibers and commingled plastics for manufacturing durable building materials; and 2) development of a recycling system to reuse and recycle decommissioned treated wood and preservative chemicals. Special emphasis will be placed on long-term durability performance of the composites, and on evaluating cradle-to-grave flow, and physical and mechanical properties of decommissioned, treated wood as affected by location (residential, exterior, and underground), service age, and preservative type during the funding period. The proposed investigation is consistent with national interests in developing high-value biobased products as substitute for petroleum-based feedstocks and products. The technology developed can lead to improved energy efficiency, significant rural economic development, and great environmental benefits.