Innovation in window and door profile designs using a wood-plastic composite

摘要: Window and door frames were fabricated from UV radiation resistant wood-plastic composites. These frames are suitable for installing in any region of Chile, innovating on construction element profile designs and the material’s virtues. The raw materials used for this research were homopolymer polypropylene (40%) and radiata pine wood dust (60%). The profiles were manufactured with a TC 35 Milacron twin screw extruder; additives, including pigments and filters to avoid surface fading caused by UV radiation and environmental effects, were added to the mixture. Natural weathering (3 months) and UV exposure cycle (200h/60ºC) tests were used to evaluate the material. Doors and windows were selected for their high hygrothermic performance. The door frame performance was evaluated by testing for shape and dimension, transverse stiffness, straightness, flatness, squareness, impact, humidity content, and glued joint behavior. The windows were tested for air and water tightness, wind resistance, and thermaltransmittance. The effect of the pigment type on fading of the wood-plastic composite material, evaluated with a 200h/60 C UV cycle, was statistically significantly different from the control sample (no additives), which presented more fading for the same exposure time. The effect of the pigment type on the wood-plastic composite fading, as evaluated in the natural weathering test, showed that the red and silver pigments performed better, with statistically significant differences between the average results. The doors met the requirements established by Chilean standards NCh723 and NCh 354, with a good performance. The windows …