Effects of Hot-pressing Parameters on the Properties of Waste Tetra Pak/Bamboo Composites

Abstract

Waste Tetra Pak containers, from the same brand of milk, were crushed into fibers. They were formed into composites with 40-mesh bamboo fibers with phenolic resin and hot pressed with different parameters. The effects of hot-pressing temperature, hot-pressing time, hot-pressing pressure, phenolic resin amount, and the ratio of Tetra Pak and bamboo on the elastic modulus, static bending strength, internal adhesive bonding strength, and 24 h thickness swelling rate of the composites were investigated by orthogonal testing. The results showed that during the hot-pressing process, hot-pressing temperature was the most important factor for the elastic modulus and static bending strength of the composites and the hot-pressing pressure was the most important factor for the 24 h thickness swelling of the composites. Optimal hot-pressing parameters of TP/bamboo composites were a hot-pressing temperature of 180 °C, hot-pressing time of 16 min, hot-pressing pressure of 1.0 MPa, phenolic resin amount of 12%, and ratio of Tetra Pak/bamboo of 9:1, in which the least phenolic resin and the most Tetra Pak materials were added. Moreover, the elastic modulus was 7670 MPa, the bending strength was 40 MPa, the internal adhesive bonding strength was 0.86 MPa, and 24 h thickness swelling rate was 10.6%, meeting the requirements for MDF in different states.