TECHNOLOGY | WOOD-PLASTIC COMPOSITES
Tracking trends in WPC decking
The desire for outdoor living spaces has never been higher and the appeal of the great outdoors seems to grow ever stronger, with homeowners investing more time and money into their outdoor spaces, according to US-based Trex Company. It has identified several trends that are currently influencing outdoor living in the North American market, including: n Mixed materials — juxtaposing WPC with traditional materials such as concrete, wicker, aluminium, copper
and stone creates more visual interest. n Industrial inspiration — WPCs support the accelerating shift towards sleek contemporary designs involving large expanses of glass, smooth surfaces, and clean lines. n Outdoor dining — the desire to eat and cook outdoors is driving new opportunities for WPCs to create all-year-round entertainment spaces. n Personal privacy — WPCs allow simple creation of all-weather curtains to maximise privacy.
Below: Budit 620 from
Budenheim is a halogen-free flame retardant specifically designed for natural fibre plastics
type of lubricant and works especially well with Struktol TPW 617, the company’s next generation high efficiency lubricant/processing aid. Struktol has also developed a full product line for WPC decking materials. This includes Struktol TPW 420, a full capstock compound that offers durability combined with good scratch resistance, adhesion to substrate, processability and a low gloss surface. Struktol TPW 230 is a masterbatch version of TPW 420 designed to be let down with PE resin. Struktol is further developing its capstock line with new compounds that have a ‘soft feel’ surface. These soft touch compounds offer superior anti-slip properties with greatly increased coefficient of friction, the company says. The focus for the compounds will be on handrails, poolside decking, stairs, ramps and other applications where a soft surface with improved grip and feel is required. They can all be supplied with or without a stabilisation package. Struktol TPW 720 is an additive for capstocks
that allows for further modification of the capstock properties, such as gloss and scratch resistance, based on the customer’s specific requirements. Dow has developed Amplify Si Silicone En-
n Garden storage — raised or elevated WPC decking can provide a bonus space for storage of garden equipment. Latest addition to the Trex line is Trex Cladding, which is claimed to provide a maintenance-free, fade and stain resistant alternative to hardwood plank- ing. The system uses the company’s square edge Transcend deck boards to create an open-joint façade. Transcend boards are made from 95% recycled plastic and reclaimed wood scrap. �
www.trex.com
hanced Polymer Systems (SEPS), a silicone-polyeth- ylene hybrid technology that improves product performance. Designed for wood-plastic compos- ite decking, it is one of the first in a series of products Dow expects to launch under its new SEPS platform and is said to address the need for innovative and sustainable alternatives in the wood-plastic composites industry. “Dow’s Amplify Si PE 1000 enables manufactur- ers to utilise more economical options, such as a variety of recycled plastic and higher levels of fillers, in their wood composite manufacturing processes,” says Mauro Gregorio, Business President, Dow Consumer Solutions. “By incorporating this product into wood-plastic composite boards, manufacturers can more easily bring new life to recycled plastic, a tremendous contribution to sustainability and product reuse. Amplify Si PE 1000 also reduces energy costs and carbon footprint associated with this manufacturing process.” According to Dow, Amplify Si PE 1000 allows higher throughput, lower melt temperature and less thermal degradation. Manufacturers can also expect to see higher production rates, lower rejection rates and overall improvement in the tensile and flex strength of their wood-plastic composite boards, the company says. Beyond decking, Amplify Si SEPS can be used with similar results in applications such as docks, railing, wall cladding, siding, fencing, window profiles, automo- tive and many other applications. “This new family of products…drives sustainabil- ity and innovation across many industries, provides a unique value proposition to our customers, and helps to facilitate the transition to a circular economy,” says Gregorio.
In addition to their mechanical properties and durability, WPCs frequently require effective fire
62 COMPOUNDING WORLD | June 2020
www.compoundingworld.com
IMAGE: BUDENHEIM
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