Molding of wood powder with a natural binder

Abstract

This paper describes the molding of wood powder using sucrose as a natural binder, as a means of fabricating products based on natural resources. The conditions, such as the temperature and binder content of the wood powder, were optimized in order to produce compacts successfully in the molding process. In experiments, the plasticization temperature of sucrose was initially investigated by thermogravimetric/differential thermal analysis for the prediction of the thermal flow temperature of the wood powder combined with sucrose. In addition, flow behavior of the mixture was evaluated for the temperature and the binder content by capillary flow tests. Based on these data, molding test of wood powder with sucrose was conducted to evaluate the injection moldabilty. As a result, the plasticization point of sucrose was found to be approximately 176 ºC, with a mass reduction onset at 200 ºC due to decomposition to volatile products. Wood powder mixed with sucrose flowed at temperatures above 180 ºC, although flow was restricted above 220 ºC due to the effect of gases evolved from the sucrose. The minimum sucrose content required for flow was 30 wt% within the temperature range of 180 to 200 ºC. The mixture was found to fill a mold under optimized conditions, forming compacts with good surface texture at a sucrose content of 30 wt% and 200 ºC. This method allows the fabrication of products from naturally occurring materials with minimal environmental impact.