In this study, mechanical performances of extruded foamed and unfoamed PVC-wood composites, reinforced with continuous glass fibers, were investigated. A specially designed die was used to incorporate the continuous glass rovings into the extruded rectangular shaped profiles. The experimental variables were the number of continuous glass rovings (0-2-4) and the presence or absence of the chemical foaming agent. Three point bending tests as well as density measurements were conducted to evaluate the mechanical properties and density reduction upon foaming. The results showed that the flexural strength of the reinforced profiles was significantly increased, as 58% increase in flexural strength was noticed for wood plastic composites (WPCs) reinforced with four glass rovings. The highest density reduction (14%) was observed upon foaming for profiles reinforced with four glass rovings, while resulting in strength deterioration. Moreover, results revealed the remarkable effect of reinforcement on preserving mechanical performance of the foamed samples, as 88% increase in flexural strength of the foamed samples reinforced with four glass rovings was observed compared with the unreinforced foamed ones. For the foamed WPCs reinforced with even two glass rovings, the higher specific strength values were also noticed compared to the unreinforced and unfoamed samples. POLYM. COMPOS., 37:1674-1680, 2016

This paper presents design and manufacture of a modular die to produce profiles of wood plastic composites (WPCs) reinforced with continuous glass fibers. As the strength and fracture toughness of WPCs are not convincing for load bearing applications, strengthening WPC profiles with continuous fibers could provide sufficient strength to meet the requirements. In this study, a modular profile die with various cross sections, i.e., I‐, U‐, and rectangular‐shaped was designed and manufactured. The approach to balance the flow for the various sections was to implement a flow restricting mechanism along the melt flow path. Impregnated glass rovings (IMGRs) were introduced continuously into the flow to reinforce the profiles through specially designed guides. Experimentations indicated the sound performance of the designed and implemented modular die. Three point bending tests were carried out to evaluate the flexural properties. Improvements in flexural strength and modulus were noticeable. The highest improvement in bending strength with four glass fibers was observed to be 23%, 38%, and 58% for I‐, U‐, and rectangular‐shaped profiles, respectively. POLYM. COMPOS., 39:2268–2276, 2018. © 2016 Society of Plastics Engineers