Effects of Coating Treatments on the Mechanical Behavior of Wood Fiber-Filled Polystyrene Composites. II. Use of Inorganic Salt/Polyvinyl Chloride and Isocyanate as Coating Components

Abstract

The performance of various coated chemithermomechanical pulp-filled polystyrene composites has been judged by evaluating the mechanical properties of the composite materials. When fibers were coated with only polymers, e.g., polystyrene or PVC, or a mixture of polymer and Na-silicate, the performance of the composites is re vealed to be very poor. But when an isocyanate (coupling agent) was used along with the above compositions, mechanical properties improved compared to those of both the origi nal polymer and non-treated composites. PS 525-based composites showed better perfor mance compared to PS 201-based composites as far as mechanical properties (other than impact strength) were concerned. Impact strength of PS 201-based composites improved the most compared to even that of the original polymer when silicate along with isocyanate were used as a coating component of the fiber.