Effect of density and industrial wood particles to cement ratio on mechanical and physical properties of wood cement composites

This study was carried out to investigate the effect of two nominal density levels of 800 kg/m3 and 1100 kg/m3 and two levels of industrial wood to cement ratios of 25:75 and 35:65 on mechanical and physical properties of wood cement composites. Boards were produced and then observed density of boards were calculated. The experimental boards were subjected to modulus of elasticity and modulus of rupture tests in accordance with EN 310. Internal bonding was evaluated according to EN 319. Water absorption and thickness swelling were evaluated after 2 and 24 hours immersion in water according to EN 317. Fire resistance was evaluated according to ISO 11925. Results indicated that bending properties of the boards, including modulus of elasticity and modulus of rupture, and internal bonding all increased with increase in density. That was attributed to the high compression and improved connection between fiber and cement matrix. Modulus of elasticity increased significantly as cement content was raised. Modulus of rupture values were inversely related to cement content. Increasing wood to cement ratio led to low internal bonding because the low amount of cement can be insufficient to cover the wood particles for effective bonding to resist the tensile forces applied during internal bonding test. As the board density increased, dimensional stability increased. Variations in the wood to cement ratio have been reported to significantly affect the dimensional stability of specimens. Water absorption and thickness swelling increased with the increase in wood to cement ratio. Fire resistance of specimens improved when the board density and cement content increased. All of the mechanical properties of boards produced in this study satisfied the EN 634-2 requirements.