Durability of wood flour‐plastic composites exposed to accelerated freeze–thaw cycling. II. High density polyethylene matrix

Abstract This study examined the durability of extruded HDPE/wood‐flour composites exposed to 15 accelerated cycles of water submersion, freezing, and thawing, according to ASTM standard D6662. The durability of both maple and pine composites was assessed by testing the flexural properties and density. Mercury intrusion porosimetry and scanning electron microscopy were also used to evaluate the interfacial adhesion between the matrix and wood flour before and after exposure to accelerated freeze–thaw cycling. Freeze–thaw actions had no apparent effect on the density of the composites after exposure, regardless of the wood species. However, these actions led to moisture uptake, which decreased the interfacial adhesion and increased the pore size and quantity in the composites, which resulted in a significant loss in flexural properties. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 100: 35–39, 2006