Just a few weeks after the “Fakuma” (www.fakuma-messe.de) trade fair came to a close, German compounders Advanced Compounding Rudolstadt (ACR, Rudolstadt; www.advanced-compounding.de) and WIS Kunststoffe (Breitungen; www.wiskunststoffe.de) report huge interest in the “Polywood” natural long-fibre compounds introduced at the event.

Using PP, PS or LDPE as their matrix, the materials are suitable for a variety of applications. “Polywood S”, which contains fine wood fibres, can be injection-moulded, extruded, thermoformed or blown. Applications include shampoo bottles, closures with an integral hinge as well as other household goods, all of which will have a fibre content of between 20-70%. “Polywood P” with coarse wood fibres and high rigidity is intended for thick-walled applications such as pallets, stacking frames for transport boxes and gardening applications. By contrast, “Polywood Zell”, containing cellulose fibres, is particularly suitable for highly rigid and light technical parts, says WIS Kunststoffe’s Claus Forster. Also part of the portfolio is “Polywood A”, which the company says is the world’s only wood compound with natural anti-bacterial properties.

Another novelty, ACR says, is the “Polywood PA” family, using polyamide 6 as a matrix. To date, the processing temperatures used for engineering polymers had been deemed too high for natural fibres. It now appears as though this particular problem has been solved by ACR.