Composites from sawdust and unsaturated polyester

Wood is an inexpensive filler that reduces the overall cost of polymer composites, with loss in some properties (e.g., ultimate strength, elongation, and water sorption often suffer with the addition of fillers) and a gain in others (e.g., Young modulus increment, reduced weight with respect to inorganic fillers, reduced wear of the processing equipment). Sawdust of Eucaliptus saligna or calcium carbonate have been used as reinforcing fillers of an unsaturated polyester matrix. The ultimate strength, elongation, and modulus are presented as a function of the filler concentration and surface treatment. The dynamic mechanical properties were used to determine the influence of the moisture content on the performance of the final material. (C) 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.