WOOD-BASED PREPREG FOR COMPOSITE LAMINATES

A wood-based prepreg was formed using vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) and a low-viscosity thermoplastic resin. Wood strands were assembled to make a porous mat for resin injection. The resin filled most of the cavities inside the wood cells resulting in a void volume fraction of 7%. The Young's modulus and strength of the saturated wood strands were 38% and 124% higher, respectively, than those of wood strands prior to resin infusion. Flat laminates were produced by thermoforming prepreg plies at 180 degrees C and 830 kPa, for 25 min. The Young's modulus and strength of flat 12-ply laminates were 73% and 20% higher, respectively, than a wood-strand panel produced using compression resin transfer molding (CRTM) and epoxy resin. Wood prepreg shows promise as an alternative to traditional wood composite forming processes, with the potential to simplify the manufacture of complex shapes, while improving the properties of the natural material.