THE MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF WOOD-PLASTIC COMPOSITES IMPROVED BY METAL MESH LAYERS

Wood plastic composites (WPC) are currently one of the most popular building materials, especially for areas exposed to moisture, UV radiation or large temperature differences. In the first stage, the mechanically shredded wood was mixed with the matrix of waste polyethylene (WPE) and processed into briquettes using the extrusion process. In the second stage, the briquettes are hybridized with five layers of metal mesh and pressed at an elevated temperature to produce WPC with improved mechanical properties. SEM is used for the microstructural analysis of WPC. The chemical analysis is carried out using FTIR. The results of the impact strength and bending measurements show a strong improvement in the mechanical properties of the WPC hybridized with metal mesh layers. All WPC samples show a high resistance to moisture, which is confirmed by the results of the mechanical measurements after exposure to water. In terms of sustainable development and environmental protection, the materials used for WPC production are waste and/or recycled, indicating a longer life cycle of WPC that could be analyzed in depth in future research.