Experimental investigation on mechanical properties of extruded foamed PVC‐wood composites reinforced with continuous glass fibers

In this study, mechanical performances of extruded foamed and unfoamed PVC‐wood composites, reinforced with continuous glass fibers, were investigated. A specially designed die was used to incorporate the continuous glass rovings into the extruded rectangular shaped profiles. The experimental variables were the number of continuous glass rovings (0–2‐4) and the presence or absence of the chemical foaming agent. Three point bending tests as well as density measurements were conducted to evaluate the mechanical properties and density reduction upon foaming. The results showed that the flexural strength of the reinforced profiles was significantly increased, as 58% increase in flexural strength was noticed for wood plastic composites (WPCs) reinforced with four glass rovings. The highest density reduction (14%) was observed upon foaming for profiles reinforced with four glass rovings, while resulting in strength deterioration. Moreover, results revealed the remarkable effect of reinforcement on preserving mechanical performance of the foamed samples, as 88% increase in flexural strength of the foamed samples reinforced with four glass rovings was observed compared with the unreinforced foamed ones. For the foamed WPCs reinforced with even two glass rovings, the higher specific strength values were also noticed compared to the unreinforced and unfoamed samples. POLYM. COMPOS., 37:1674–1680, 2016. © 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers