Recycled plastic lumber are becoming increasingly popular these days as a substitute for treated lumber. The reason is not hard to understand. It's resistant to moisture, rot, insects and many different chemicals. As recycled plastics, these materials are doing the environment a great favor as they are diverted from the landfills.
In some applications, plastic lumber has displaced conventional building materials, and the international demand for these products continue to rise, thanks to its growing number of potential construction applications.
Plastic lumber comes in two types - the composites, or wood products manufactured from a combination of plastics and natural fibers, and the "wood-like" products which are purely made of plastics.Learn more about plastic lumber from pier fender systems.
Wood-Plastic Composites (WPCs)
Wood-plastic composites are composed of fibers mixed with a polymer. Natural fiber composites, for instance, mix plastic with hemp or flax. This material first grew in popularity among German car makers in Western Europe.Visit marine grade lumber to learn more about Recycled Plastic Lumber. Today, around 7-10 kilograms of natural composites is used by famous automotive brands per vehicle, with most of the material being used to make seat panels, acoustic panels, headliners and parcel shelves.
Wood Composites
Wood composites are products made from a mix of plastics and wood fibers. They are known for various outstanding qualities, like weather resistance and overall durability. This makes them a good choice for exterior building structures such as window and door profiles, deck and railing systems, infrastructure products like park benches and boardwalks, and many other applications.
Both types of plastic lumber, natural fiber and wood composite products, may be composed of either new plastic or recycled material. Virgin polymers may be used for aesthetic purposes, such as for adding colors or patterns, but these products are naturally more expensive. Cheaper composite alternatives that incorporate recycled plastic often use special pigments or additives to enhance appearance, like UV resistance and color retention.
Polyethylene (PE) is the most commonly used polymer in composite applications in North America. But post-consumer supply is declining because of the material's popularity and growing export sector. For more info on Recycled Plastic Lumber, click plastic lumber. This, together with continuing studies involving polymer combinations and different processing methods, boost the demand for other types of plastic, like polypropylene (PP). Eventually, these new materials may boast their own unique desirable characteristics, further changing the current view of specifiers and other design professionals about WPCs (polypropylene, for instance, may be made tougher). Indeed, plastic lumber has gone through significant changes since its beginnings, when it was as appreciated by environmentalists as it was dismissed by the construction sector.Learn more about Recycled Plastic Lumber from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plastic_lumber.
