PVC & WPC FOAM BOARD

[EIRI/EDPR/3764] J.C.: 1855

INTRODUCTION

Wood-plastic composites (WPCs) are composite materials made of wood fiber/wood

flour and thermoplastic(s) such as PE, PP, PVC, or PLA.

In addition to wood fiber and plastic, WPCs can also contain other ligno-cellulosic
and/or inorganic filler materials. WPCs are a subset of a larger category of
materials called natural fiber plastic composites (NFPCs), which may contain no
cellulose-based fiber fillers such as pulp fibers, peanut hulls, bamboo, straw,
digestate, etc.

Chemical additives seem practically "invisible" (except mineral fillers and

pigments, if added) in the composite structure. They provide for integration of
polymer and wood flour (powder) while facilitating optimal processing conditions.

In recent years, people in the flooring industry starts referring to WPC as a type of
floor that has a basic structure of top vinyl veneer plus a rigid extruded core (the
core can be made without any wood fiber). WPC is now an established product
category within LVT. This type of WPC is different from WPC decking and is not
intended for outdoor usage.

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Wood–plastic composites (WPCs) are a form of composite combining wood-based
elements with polymers. The processes for manufacturing WPCs include
extrusion, injection molding, and compression molding or thermoforming
(pressing). Newer manufacturing processes for WPCs include additive
manufacturing via fused layer modeling and laser sintering. An important
constraint for polymers used in WPCs is requiring process conditions (melt
temperature, pressure) that will not thermally degrade the wood filler. Wood
degrades around 220 °C; thus, general-purpose polymers like polyethylene and
poly vinyl chloride are typically used for manufacturing WPCs. Wood fibers are
inherently hydrophilic because of the hydroxyl groups contained in the cellulose
and hemicellulose molecular chains. Thus, modification of the wood fiber via
chemical or physical treatments is very critical to making improved WPCs. The
most abundant profiles made from wood–plastic composites are boards or lumber
used in outdoor decking applications. Although early WPC products were mainly
extruded for profiled sections, nowadays, many injected parts made of WPC are
being introduced for various industries, including electrical casings, packaging,
daily living supplies, and civil engineering applications. Mold and mildew and
color fading of WPCs tend to be the durability issues of prime importance for
WPCs. Most recent research on WPC durability focuses on studies to better
understand the mechanisms contributing to various degradation issues as well as
methods to improve durability. Most WPC products in the USA are utilized in
building materials with few exceptions for residential and commercial building
applications, which means that building codes are the most important national
rules for the WPC manufacturers. New developments are being made especially in
the area of nano additives for WPCs including nanocellulose. Recently, the trend of
patent registrations for WPCs has shifted to new products or applications instead
of the materials itself.

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A wood–plastic composite (WPC) is a common term referring to wood-based
elements such as lumber, veneer, fibers, or particles that are combined with
polymers to create a composite material. It is a broadly used term, and as such,
wood elements can be combined with either thermosetting or thermoplastic
polymers. The term wood–plastic composite is used interchangeably with wood–
polymer composites, and the wood composites made from either thermoplastic or
thermosetting polymers are often categorized as separate material types.
Examples of wood–plastic composites made from different polymer types and wood
elements are listed in Table 1.

Plastic and wood wastes have been a main environmental concern. Plastic is the
biggest problem due to its high amount of waste generated, non biodegradability
and the fastest depletion of natural resources regarding its short life cycle,
therefore increased amount of material utilized in its production, and waste
generated. The same applies to wood with lesser degree where it is depleting trees
and forests and the wastes mainly are either burned or disposed; resulting in
extra consumption, depletion, and pollution of nature. Several worldwide attempts
have been adopted; especially in the developed countries, to take advantage of
these types of waste especially with the raised need for alternatives to virgin
materials. Wood plastic composite (WPC) is a product which could be obtained
from plastic and wood. WPC is a composite with a rapid growing usage consisting
of a mixture of wood waste and polymeric material . Many trials of obtaining a
WPC product were basically built on the concept of a Cradle to Cradle approach
where the material is recycled at the end of its life cycle to produce a Cradle (new)
product and thus close the loop and imitate the natural ecosystem. As a
consequence, this minimizes the solid waste content and conserve the natural
resources. Therefore, costs, energy, and depletion of virgin materials are reduced.
In addition, it assures the sustainability over the incoming years for future
generations' use.

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WPC has become currently an important address of research that gained
popularity over the last decade especially with its properties and advantages that
attracted researchers such as: high durability, Low maintenance, acceptable
relative strength and stiffness, fewer prices relative to other competing materials,
and the fact that it is a natural resource . Other advantages have been strength
points including : the resistance in opposition to biological deterioration especially
for outdoor applications where untreated timber products are not suitable, the
high availability of fine particles of wood waste is a main point of attraction which
guarantees sustainability, improved thermal and creep performance relative to
unfilled plastics where It can be produced to obtain structural building
applications including: profiles, sheathings, decking, roof tiles, and window trims.
On the other hand, WPCs are not nearly as stiff as solid wood; however, they are
stiffer than unfilled plastics. In addition, they do not require special fasteners or
design changes in application as they perform like conventional wood.

As mentioned, the reasons for using WPC are many; however, there are other
causes that men forced many countries to tend for using alternative sources to
virgin materials. In the United States, for example, the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, by the beginning of 2004, has phased out the usage of wood
treated with chemicals such as the chromate copper arsenate (CCA) to prevent
environmental and microbial degradation. As this type of wood was used in the
building products' market concerned with residential applications such as
decking, the need for the alternative survived the WPC market. In Europe,
environmental concerns are focused on limiting the use of finite resources and the
need to manage waste disposal; therefore, the tendency to recycle materials at the
end of their useful life has increased tremendously. Recycling polymers in Europe
was less preferred than other types of materials such as metal; however, illegality
of land filling and waste management priority in many European countries were
the motive to do so . In addition to the enforced environmental policies, the growth
of environmental awareness led to a new orientation to use wasted natural
materials for different applications and industries such as the automotive,
packaging and construction industries.

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 CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF WPC
USES & APPLICATIONS
FIGURE. EXAMPLES OF WOOD-PLASTIC COMPOSITES (WPCS)
OURDOOR APPLICATION OF WPC
RAW MATERIALS
POLYMERS
FIGURE- TRENDS IN THE POLYMER PROPERTIES OF THERMOPLASTICS
AS A FUNCTION OF TEMPERATURE, T.
FIGURE. TYPICAL ROOM TEMPERATURE PROPERTIES OF COMMON POLYMERS
WOOD
ADDITIVES
MATERIALS FOR PLASTIC FOAM BOARD AND THEIR FUNCTION
PVC RESIN
CALCIUM CARBONATE
A) PVC FOAMING REGULATORS
STABILIZERS
INTERNAL LUBRICANTS E.G. LUBRICANT G60
EXTERNAL LUBRICANTS E.G. POLYTHENE (PE) WAX
WHITE PIGMENT/TITANIUM DIOXIDE (TIO2)
PROCESSING AID 3316F
PROCESSING MODIFIER ADDITIVE E.G PROCESSING AID NCR61
ADVANCE MATERIALS FOR WPC
WOOD MODIFICATION
ADDITIVES
PROFILES
MARKET OVERVIEW OF WOOD PLASTIC COMPOSITE
I) RECYCLABLE AND REUSABLE:
II) MULTIPLE APPLICATIONS:
III) RETARDS FIRE:
IV) SIMILAR CARPENTRY AS THAT OF WOOD:
THE PLYWOOD SUBSTITUTION / ALTERNATE OPPORTUNITY - WPC
DEMAND DRIVERS FOR THE FURNITURE INDUSTRY –GLOBAL & LOCAL
INDIA: MACROECONOMIC GROWTH DRIVERS
GLOBAL MARKET OVERVIEW OF WOOD PLASTIC COMPOSITE
ASPECT OF WPC DURABILITY
STRUCTURAL
WEATHERING STUDIES
FORMULATION OF WPC
FIGURE POLYETHYLENE (PE) – BASED COMPOSITE
DIFFERENT PROCESSES FOR WOOD PLASTIC COMPOSITES

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EXTRUSION PROCESSING
SINGLE-SCREW EXTRUDER
COUNTER-ROTATING TWIN-SCREW EXTRUSION
COMPOSITE SYSTEM
WOOD RUDER
MISCELLANEOUS POST-EXTRUDER UNIT OPERATIONS
WPC MANUFACTURING TECHNIQUES
WPC REPROCESSING
WPC NEW MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY
EXPERIMENTAL STAGES
PILOT EXPERIMENTATIONS
PREREQUISITE STAGE
STAGE 1
STAGE 2
STAGE 3
PROCESSES EXPERIMENTAL SETTINGS
FIG. ILLUSTRATIVE PROCESS FLOW CHART OF WPC MANUFACTURING
PRODUCTION METHOD OF WPC (WOOD PLASTIC COMPOSITE)
WOOD
PARTICLE GEOMETRY
ANY SPECIES CAN BE INCORPORATED INTO WPCS. NON-WOOD
FIBERS CAN ALSO BE USED.
WOOD SPECIES:
MOISTURE CONTENT:
PLASTICS
ADDITIVES
MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGIES
COMPOUNDING:
FORMING:
PRESENT MANUFACTURERS OF WOOD PLASTIC COMPOSITE BOARDS LINE
PROCESS FLOW DIAGRAM FOR WPC PVC FOAM BOARD
THE WPC MANUFACTURING PROCESS WITH EXTRUSION FORMING
DETAILS OF RAW MATERIALS
TABLE 1.0: HARD WOOD FLOUR- CHEMICAL & PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
TABLE 2.0: FUNCTIONS OF ADDITIVES USED IN THERMOPLASTIC
COMPOSITES
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF WOOD-POLYPROPYLENE COMPOSITES*
TECHNICAL DETAILS OF PVC WPC FOAM BOARD LINE
TECHNICAL/TURNKEY CONSULTANT FOR SETTINGUP WPC PLANT
SUPPLIERS OF PLANT & MACHINERIES (IMPORTED)
SUPPLIERS OF PLANT & MACHINERIES (INDIAN)
BOILER
GENERATOR SET (D.G. SET)
MANUFACTURERS/SUPLIERS OF PLANT & MACHINERY
EXTRUDERS
PRESSING MACHINE

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COOLING TOWERS
BOILER
GENERATOR SET (D.G. SET)
MANUFACTURERS/SUPPLIERS OF RAW MATERIALS
WOOD FLOUR
PLASTIC POLYMERS
COUPLING AGENT
ADDITIVES
RAW MATERIALS CALCULATION

APPENDIX – A:

01. PLANT ECONOMICS

02. LAND & BUILDING
03. PLANT AND MACHINERY
04. OTHER FIXED ASSESTS
05. FIXED CAPITAL
06. RAW MATERIAL
07. SALARY AND WAGES
08. UTILITIES AND OVERHEADS
09. TOTAL WORKING CAPITAL
10. TOTAL CAPITAL INVESTMENT
11. COST OF PRODUCTION
12. TURN OVER/ANNUM
13. BREAK EVEN POINT
14. RESOURCES FOR FINANCE
15. INSTALMENT PAYABLE IN 5 YEARS
16. DEPRECIATION CHART FOR 5 YEARS
17. PROFIT ANALYSIS FOR 5 YEARS
18. PROJECTED BALANCE SHEET FOR (5 YEARS)

COST ESTIMATION
Plant Capacity 11520 sq.ft./Day
Land & Building (40000 sq.ft.) Rs. 2.44 Cr
Plant & Machinery Rs. 1.52 Cr
Working Capital for 1 Month Rs. 1.28 Cr
Total Capital Investment Rs. 5.40 Cr
Rate of Return 24%
Break Even Point 62%

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