Fabrication of plastic and wood veneer composite
OwnerRichard C. Horianinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The fabrication of a plastic-wood composite wherein a raw wood is prepared by drying and crushing of at least the outer cell layers of the veneer using a heated platen. A plastic sheet with a coating of more easily fluidized material is then combined with the wood through heat and pressure. Cooling then fixes the composite structure to define a plastic covered composite having the appearance of coated wood.
Claims21
A method for fabricating a plastic-wood composite using wood veneer having naturally occurring lignin, comprising the steps of
- drying the wood veneer to remove substantially all of the moisture therefrom;
- pressing the wood vexleer sufficiently to crush at least the outermost layers of cells and to establish a smooth surface;
- overlaying the wood veneer with plastic sheeting having a polymeric material on one side thereof adjacent the wood veneer;
- heating under pressure the overlaid wood veneer and plastic sheeting to displace the polymeric material into the crushed cells to create a mixed boundary layer of polymeric material and lignin in the crushed cells;
- cooling the heated overlaid wood veneer and plastic sheeting.
A method for fabricating a plastic-wood composite using wood veneer having naturally occurring lignin, comprising the steps of
- drying the wood veneer to remove substantially all of the moisture therefrom;
- heating and pressing the wood veneer sufficiently to crush at least the outermost layers of cells, to dry the wood veneer to remove substantially all moisture therefrom to disperse the lignin more evenly throughout the cellular structure of the wood veneer and to effect a smooth surface on the wood veneer;
- overlaying the wood veneer with plastic sheeting having a polymeric material on one side of the plastic sheeting adjacent the wood veneer;
- sequentially heating and cooling under continuous pressure the overlaid wood veneer and plastic sheeting to displace the polymeric material and lignin into the crushed ceils to create a mixed boundary layer of polymeric material and lignin in the crushed cells and fix the composite together.
A method for fabricating a plastic-wood composite using wood veneer having naturally occurring lignin, comprising the steps of
- pressing the wood veneer sufficiently no crush at least the outermost layers of cells and to establish a smooth surface;
- overlaying the wood veneer with plastic sheeting having a polymeric material on one side thereof adjacent the wood veneer;
- heating under pressure the overlaid wood veneer and plastic sheeting to displace the polymeric material into the crushed cells to create a mixed boundary layer of polymeric material and lignin in the crushed cells;
- cooling the heated overlaid wood veneer and plastic sheeting.
A method for fabricating a plastic-wood composite using wood veneer having naturally occurring lignin, comprising the steps of
- heating and pressing the wood veneer sufficiently to crush at least the outermost layers of cells, to dry the wood veneer to remove substantially all moisture therefrom to disperse the lignin more evenly throughout the cellular structure of the wood veneer and to effect a smooth surface on the wood veneer;
- overlaying the wood veneer with plastic sheeting having a polymeric material on one side of the plastic sheeting adjacent the wood veneer;
- sequentially heating and cooling under continuous pressure the overlaid wood veneer and plastic sheeting to displace the polymeric material and lignin into the crushed cells to create a mixed boundary layer of polymeric material and lignin in the crushed cells and fix the composite together.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.