Properties of wood plastic composites from forest residues of "Pinus pseudostrobus" Lindl. and "Abies religiosa" (Kunth) Schltdt. & Cham

Wood plastic composites (WPC) have a great potential for development and they can replace in many cases both plastic structures or solid wood. The objective of this study was to determine some physical and mechanical properties of wood plastic composite elaborated form forest residues of Pinus pseudostrobus Lindl. and Abies religiosa (Kunth) Schltdt. et Cham. in combination with polypropylene and maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene. The hypothesis was that the physical and mechanical properties of the WPC have not statistical differences between the residues of wood of the species used. The experimental design was completely randomized, the treatments were the species, there were ten replicates per treatment and the experimental unit was a sample. Data from each physical and mechanical test were used to perform ANOVA test and treatments means were compared using Tukey test (p <= 0.05); correlation coefficients (R) values were calculated for WPC density and its mechanical properties. Density, modulus of elasticity, modulus of rupture, Young's module, tension and impact stretch for WPC from P pseudostrobus were 1.1 g cm(-3), 5517, 71.04, 5553, 37.75 MPa and 9.68 kJ m(-2), respectively. The values of WPC from A. religious were 1.1 g cm(-3), 5,892, 76.47, 5883, 42.7 MPa and 10.49 kJ m(2), respectively. The values from all tests were statistically different among species and were within ranges reported of WPC, and both species can be used to produce wood plastic composites.