Louis Reifschneider

Effect of particle size, coupling agent and DDGS additions on Paulownia wood polypropylene composites

Studies aimed at improving the tensile, flexural, impact, thermal, and physical characteristics of wood–plastic composites composed of Paulownia wood flour derived from 36-month-old trees blended with polypropylene were conducted. Composites of 25% and 40% w/w of Paulownia wood were produced by twin-screw compounding and injection molding. Composites containing 0–10% by weight of maleated polypropylene were evaluated and an optimum maleated polypropylene concentration determined, i.e., 5%. The particle size distribution of Paulownia wood filler is shown to have an effect on the tensile and flexural properties of the composites. Novel combination composites of dried distiller’s grain with solubles mixed with Paulownia wood (up to 40% w/w) were produced and their properties evaluated. Depending on the composite tested, soaking composites for 872 h alters mechanical properties and causes weight gain.

Evaluation of Paulownia elongata wood polyethylene composites

Paulownia wood flour (PWF), a by-product of milling lumber, was employed as a biofiller and blended with high-density polyethylene (HDPE) via extrusion. Paulownia wood (PW) shavings were milled through a 1-mm screen and then separated via shaking into various particle fractions (600–≤74 µm) using sieves (#30–>#200 US Standards). The influence of a commercial coupling agent, maleated polyethylene (MAPE), used at various concentrations (0, 1, 3, 5, or 10% w/w) with HDPE and wood particles obtained from a #50-mesh sieve, is examined. Incorporation of high concentrations of MAPE (approximately 5%) in HDPE-PWF blends improved tensile strength compared to lower MAPE concentrations (≤3%). Particle size of wood significantly influenced the mechanical properties of the biocomposite. HDPE-MAPE blends containing smaller wood particles (<180 µm) had higher tensile strength than neat HDPE or blends containing larger particles (>300 µm). Young’s modulus for all HDPE-PWF-MAPE blends was 14–27% higher than that of neat HDPE. Generally, incubation of tensile bars of various HDPE-PWF blends in 95% humidity for 28 days reduced the mechanical properties approximately by 5%. Differential scanning calorimetry analysis showed a slight reduction in the percentage crystallinity among various HDPE-PW blends.

Marketers Understanding Engineers and Engineers Understanding Marketers: The Opportunities and Constraints of a Cross-Discipline Course Using 3D Printing to Develop Marketable Innovations.

Marketers are criticized for not understanding the steps in the engineering research and development process and the challenges of manufacturing a new product at a profit. Engineers are criticized for not considering the marketability of and customer interest in such a product during the planning stages. With the development of 3D printing, rapid prototyping at a reasonable cost may help to overcome the “sound barriers” between the two disciplines. We report on how a cross-discipline class team, using the stage gate model taught by an engineering professor and a marketing professor, helped both groups of students acquire cross-functional knowledge of marketing and engineering design to hear the voice of the customer while creating and prototyping an innovative new product. We provide in detail the work students completed at each stage and explain how developing rough prototypes and testing customer reaction to them lead to 3D printing of an alpha prototype. With an alpha prototype, which looks and functions like a marketable product, students were able to get more authentic customer feedback about their new product.