Production of fire-resistant wood polymer composite from recycled ABS

In this study, wood plastic composites were produced using beech wood flour obtained from sawdust waste of a furniture company as the lignocellulosic material, and ABS polymer, also sourced as waste from the same furniture company, as the thermoplastic polymer through the extrusion method. The performance properties of the WPC material, which was manufactured into sheets via hot pressing, were determined. To enhance the performance of the wood plastic composites (WPC), compatibilizers and flame retardants were used, and their effects on the sheets were examined. In the first part, wood plastic composites were produced by adding compatibilizers. Studies on the thermal, mechanical, and physical properties of the produced composite materials demonstrated that wood flour obtained from forest industry waste and waste ABS can be successfully evaluated as alternative raw materials in the production of flame-resistant ABS wood polymer composites. It was determined that the addition of flame retardants provided the control samples with better fire resistance properties. Additionally, boron compounds (BC) and ammonium polyphosphate (APP) were also evaluated as flame retardants in the production of wood plastic composites (WPC). In the second part of the study, analyses were performed on wood polymer composites produced by adding flame retardants to compatibilizer-free sample groups with high mechanical strength. It was observed that flame retardant materials slightly increased the density, water absorption, and thickness swelling of the samples. Moreover, it was found that flame retardant materials caused a slight increase in the tensile and flexural strength and tensile and flexural modulus of elasticity in samples without wood flour, while a slight decrease was observed in samples containing wood flour. As a result, the analyses and tests conducted demonstrated that a flame-resistant composite material reinforced with waste ABS matrix and waste wood flour can be produced. This study highlighted the importance of issues such as environmental pollution, waste recycling, and the need for alternative materials, emphasizing the significance of sustainability and recycling.