A supplement for timber could come from old telephone books and plastic
milk containers, according to CSIRO researchers.
CSIRO project leader Dr Bob Coutts says that industrial-scale trials have
begun with a paper/plastic product and it shows promise of being suitable
for some applications that currently use timber.
"Basically the ingredients are any waste thermoplastic material and
waste paper," says Dr Coutts.
"The paper, which accounts for up to 60% of the timber substitute
material, provides stiffness and counters the flexibility of the plastic.
"The timber supplement can be twice as strong and three times as stiff
as the polymers from which it is made and is tough enough to be suitable
for a multitude of applications which in the past have utilised timber
- flat sheets and mouldings for example."
The material is made using extrusion processing techniques. It can be processed
into a wide range of cross-sections, and has the advantages of water repellency
and being defect-free compared with timber. It can also be recycled into
new products.
CSIRO’s involvement in this project is part of a program on composite
materials prepared from wood-based materials, including wastes.
It is also the result of collaboration between CSIRO Forestry and Forest
Products and Equinox Research and Development Pty Ltd, which follows from
joint work that resulted in "Light and Easy TM Cat
Litter" a product also made from out-of-date telephone books.