A Study on Tensile Behavior and Water Uptake of Wood Powder-Composites Based on Epoxy and Unsaturated Polyester Resins

In this study، two kinds of epoxy resins (i. e. high-viscosity and low-viscosity) as well as one polyester resin (orthophthalic grade) were selected and examined as pure resins and also as a polymeric matrix for producing wood-composites. In this study، tensile properties، water uptake، and degradation of samples in water were also investigated. The results show that addition of wood particles to the thermoset resins strongly impresses on their tensile behavior and water uptake. Tensile studies show that addition of wood powder improves the tensile properties of polyester resin as compared with viscosity epoxy one، although its modulus value is relatively less than that of low viscosity epoxy resin. Water uptake measurements also revealed that pure polyester resin and its related composites possess minimum water uptake and less degradation in water as compared with corresponding epoxy specimens and from which the lowest extent of materials is extracted and migrated to the water even after 50 days immersion in water.