Study On The Effect Of Environmental Factors On Durability Of Wood-Plastic Composite Floorings

The color in appearance and mechanical properties may be subjected to environmental impact when Wood-Plastic Composite (WPC) floorings use in the long term, especially in extremely bad weather conditions and under cumulative interaction of long-term fatigue and creep. So studying on the effect of environment factors on durability of WPC floorings is of great significance. Three aspects were included in this paper; first aspect was to analyze and design the cross section of the solid-profile WPC flooring, hollow-profile WPC flooring with single hole and with double holes, opening-profile WPC flooring with single hole and with double holes. Second focus of this work was to study on the color change and bending properties and creep/fatigue behavior of WPC floorings in the sun environment, outdoor natural dry and wet environment and soil environment for two months, four months and six months. Third aspect was to analysis the significant of effect of environmental factors, placed time and loading ways on the WPC floorings.The following conclusions were drawn, based on tests:1. The hollow-profile WPC flooring was the most reasonable, followed by solid-profile; opening-profile was the worst.2. The surface color of WPC floorings changed and even mold in those three environments for two months, four months and six months. By decreasing the semicircle of opening-profile WPC flooring from 11 mm to 6 mm, could not only save material ,but also achieved the requirements of bending performance.3. The effect of the outdoor natural dry and wet environment on bending properties was of the largest, followed by the sun environment, and finally the soil environment. In these three environments for two months, four months and six months, the modulus of rupture decreased by 3.17%-20.59% and the modulus of elasticity reduced by 2.55%-17.61%.4. Compared to the WPC floorings at room temperature, the retention of residual flexural strength was only 72.11%-95.24% after the general interaction of environmental factors, placed time and loading ways at 25% and 50% stress lever.5. "Placed time" had a very significant influence on WPC floorings; "Environmental factor" only had significant effect on hollow-profile WPC flooring with single hole.