at Forest Products Laboratory
Contact Information
Forest Products Laboratory
One Gifford Pinchot Drive
Madison, WI 53726
Phone: (608) 231-9200
Fax: (608) 231-9592
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Engineered Composites Sciences

Composites research focuses on developing highly engineered building products from low value materials for production of wood- or natural-fiber based composites as well as wood-plastic composites.
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Research Focus Areas

  • Understanding fundamental relationships between wood, natural fiber, and alternative materials to optimize composite processing and performance
  • Improving the performance, durability, and value of existing composites while defining the next generation of hybrid composites made from natural fibers and alternative materials
  • Developing tools to address resource sustainability, enhance recyclability, and minimize the environmental effects of composite processing

 

Project Leader for Engineered Composites Sciences




Zhiyong Cai
 
The Engineered Composites unit uses naturally renewable wood-based materials to
  • Promote resource sustainability and recycling
  • Improve forest health by manufacturing high-value products from low-value resources
  • Provide improved value, service life, and utility to consumers
  • Improve economic health by promoting jobs in forest-dependent rural communities
 
Ongoing Research Includes:
  • Value-added composite lumber and oriented strandboard (OSB) panels from waste biomass and small diameter wood
  • Medium density fiberboard (MDF) from wood fiber, rice straw, and agricultural residuals
  • Reactive extrusion of composites from wood-derived materials and polymers
  • Microstructure evaluation to improve performance of polymer composites
  • 3-D engineered fiberboard processing and optimization
  • Destructive and non-destructive testing
  • Understanding fundamental changes caused by weathering
  • Microwave heating and pressing in a pressurized/vacuum environment
  • Producing cellulose nanocomposites by breaking down wood fibers into their elementary nanofibrils then using those nanofibers to reinforce various composites
 
 
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Research examines the following products:
  • Conventional wood-based composites
  • Plywood; OSB; particleboard; fiberboard; medium density fiberboard; hardboard
  • Wet-formed composites such as 3-D engineered fiberboard
  • Wood-thermoplastic composites
  • Nanocomposites
 
Conventional Wood Composites
  • 20- by 20-inch, 36- by 36-inch, 50- by 50-inch, and 26- by 104-inch hot-platen computer-controlled presses
  • 4- and 8-foot drum blenders
  • 2-foot by 8-foot wet-process former
 
Wood-Plastic Composites
  • Twin-screw compounding extruder
  • Single-screw profiling extruder
  • Injection molder
  • Thermokinetic mixer
  • Torque rheometer
 
Nanocomposites
  • Microcompounding and microprocessing system
  • High-shear microfluidizer
 
Computer Simulation and Modeling
  • Structural performance of wood-based panels
  • Internal stresses and warping
 
Testing and Analysis
  • FTIR (Fourier Transform Infra-red) microscopic spectrometer
  • FT-NIR (Fourier Transform Near Infra-red) spectrometer
  • Vertical Density Profiler
  • Impact testing machine
  • Universal testing machine
  • Moisture analyzer
  • Xenon-arc accelerated weathering apparatus

 

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