- en years ago, so-called “plas- tic lumber” made from recy- cled post-consumer plastics was scoffed at as a contender for the structural applications that are the domain of pressuretreated soft woods. Plastic lumber gained some initial acceptance mainly for its “green” or ‘‘ecdriendly” public-relationsvklue- and then only for low-end uses like park benches, sign posts, picnic tables, and planters. Nowadays, contractors are giv- .. ing the nod to plastic lumber for more prestigious, structural uses like resi- dential backyard decks, boardwalks, and sea walls. In fact, U.S. manufacturers say the growing interest will soon propel plastic lumber from a niche product to a big-time player against wood and a sig- nificant market for recycled plastics. Plastic lumber manufacturers note that their product, unlike wood, does not rot, crack, splinter, decompose, or degrade and can withstand moisture and changes in temperature as well as testing standards that will help establish tics, our products were thought to be attacks by termites and other insects. a benchmark for minimum perfor- cheap or low grade,” recalls Louis Fow, Plastic lumber can be drilled, nailed, mance. Two years ago, processors cre president of Custom-PacExtrusions Inc., sawed, and routed like wood and ated the Plastic Lumber Trade Chagrin Falls, Ohio. At the same time, requires very little maintenance. It is Association (PLTA) ,Akron, Ohio, which some lumber producers, intent on capi- available in a variety of colors and tex- is working with the American Societyfor talizing on the public approval of recy- tures, and needs no painting. Testing and Materials (ASTM), Philadel- cling, used inexpensive or poorly built A prime showcase for plastic lum- phia, to develop such test standards. The molds and a wide variety of recycled ber in structural applications is the $2.6 fist of the standards should be approved plastic materials with no set specifica- million Tiffany Street demonstration later this year. Producers think these tions, leaving customers with no idea project in New York City, where 600 tons standards will give civil design engineers how their plastic lumber would per- of plastic lumber was used to create the more confidence in the physical prop- form from lot to lot, Fow adds. Michael understructure, pilings, and boardwalk erties of plastic lumber, th.w ensuring Enden, executivev.p. at Duratech Indus- of a public waterfront pier. Plastic lum- its penetration in construction. tries Inc., Lake Odessa, Mich., remem- ber is also being tested as railroad ties, bers it the same way “Once upon a time, ioists, and in marine applications such OVERCOMING A CHEAP IMAGE it was easy for a guy with a large amount isfloating docks, pilings, and fenders. A Manufacturers readily admit that of plastic trash to just grind it up and key factor in its favor, producers say, has plastic lumber acquired anegative image make a product. He saw a gold mine, been that plastic lumber retains its neat as a low-performance product in the though the board he was making var- ippearance over time better than wood. 1980s. “Eight or nine years ago, plastic ied [in performance] from day-to-day.” Broward County, Fla., recently lumber got off on the wrong foot. Instead Manufacturers say the dark days Installed miles of recycled, commingled of differentiating itself from wood, man- for plastic lumber seem to be coming to (miired plastic) plastic lumber in its West ufacturers said it performed just like an end because their product is now Lake Park for boardwalks, nature trails, wood. It was used in applications for gaining respect as a viable alternative to loating docks, fishing piers, observation wood and didn’t hold upthat’s why it ,wood in some applications. ‘There are .owers, and an amphitheater. The pro- failed,”says Ron Kwiatkowski,president still some people who won’t use plastic ect, which used around 800,000 lb, was of American EcoBoard Inc., a plastic lumber because they were burned in the contracted to Better Than Wood Indus- lumber supplier in Farmingdale, N.Y. past,” says Kwiatkowski. “But now the tries @W,Inc. of Hollywood, Ha. The use of recycled materials as feed- products are being made carefully to ii Interest in plastic lumber has been stock for plastic lumber in some ways build credibility. We need reliability and I stoked by a more serious commitment added to the negative perception. “It car- consistent quality. We consult with New to quality and consistency by the manu- ried the burden of a cheap and dirty York State-certified engineers to deter- i facturers, who are pushing for national material. Because we used recycled plas- mine if our product can be designed cor- h rectly for an application,” he adds. charged with developing standards for material-handling applications. The Anthony Noto, president of Trimax plastic lumber. Measurement test group also hopes to develop a database Inc., Ronkonkoma, N.Y., says he has methods and standards are considered of materials, properties, applications, spent millions field testing his plastic- essential for plastic lumber in view of and product design guidelines. lumber products. Many producers like the variety of recycled materials that Trimax now offer customers perfor- may be used, along with modiiiers such GROWING MARKETS MEAN $$ mance data produced by independent as glass fiber, sawdust, ground-up rub- There are currently 62 producers or labs and based on standards estab- ber tires, and even peanut shells. fabricators of plastic lumber in the US. lished for wood. The confidence in Five national standards for plastic and around seven more in Canada, product quality is growing to the point lumber are expected to be in place by according to data from the PLTA and where some manufacturers even offer November. The f3st ASTM standards from the newsletter Plastics Recycling warranties as long as 50 years, with free will set test methods for density as replacement in case of premature failure. well as compressive and flexural Rather than beiia cheap substitute, moduli. Standards for creep prop plastic lumber actually is more expensive erties and mechanical fastening for than many soft-woods such as pine, plastic lumber products are also against which it competes. Plastic lumber being discussed, according to does cost less than premium grades of Richard Lampo of the U.S. Army hard woods, but those compete directly Corps of Engineers. The next step only in some higher-end applications. will be to develop performance- “Plastic lumber should be more expen- based specifications for various sive because it performs better in terms applications. Krishnaswamy says a of life-cycle costs. It may cost three guideline on the minimum range of times as much, but it may last three times properties needed for outdoor res- as long,” says Celeste Johnson, president idential decking boards will be one of Obex Inc. in Stamford, COM.Many of the first of those performance plastic lumber makers agree that culti- specs, which are expected to be vating a life-cycle mentality in customers’ approved next year. minds is one of the biggest steps toward Krishnaswamy says these per- getting more users. Trimax found in a formance standards will cover shear study of its plastic lumber versus a soft properties, outdoor weathering, hy- wood that the wood was 43%cheaper to grothermal cycling, and fastener buy initially, but over four years the cost withdrawal. After that, a perfor- to maintain the wood boosted its overall mance grading system will be estab- cost 164%higher than the initial price of lished for differentvarietiesof plastic the plastic lumber, which incurred no lumber based on their properties. Update, published by Resource Recy- additional maintenance costs. Installation Two additional task forces are being cling Inc. in Portland, Ore. Battelle’s costs were only 1OOh higher than for wood. created, according to Krishnaswamy: Krishnaswamy says use of plastic lum- One will address plastic lumber testing ber has been growing by approximately THE NEED FOR STANDARDS and performance standards specifically 40%a year, topping 16 million board feet, Despite the evident economic ben- for marine applications. The second or about 40 million lb, last year. That efits of plastic lumber, the lack of com- will look into the flammability and com- figure compares with 81.5 billion board mon industry test standards to measure bustibility of plastic lumber products. feet of wood used in the U.S. in 1995, performance is said to hamper market The task force draws heavily on tests according to the National Lumber and growth. ‘We believe most plastic lum- done by Battelle; the US.Army Corps Building Material Dealers Association ber manufacturers are looking to get of Engineers; the Center for Plastics in Washington, D.C. into the structural higher-performance Recycling Research (CPRR) at Rutgers Some plastic lumber makers have market, but they can’t because there University, New Brunswick, N.J.; the experienced explosive growth. ‘We had are no product specifications. The fed- [nstitute for Recycled Materials at plastic lumber sales totaling $200,000 in eral, state, and local governments need Louisiana State University, New 1992. In 1995, sales were $800,000, and standards and specifications so they can Orleans; and the University of Mas- we expect even higher sales this year,” write procurement guidelines. Without sachusetts, Lowell. says Custom-Pac’s Fow, who adds that the guidelines they can’t really use it,” Battelle recently formed a three- plastic lumber sales encompass half of says Dr. Prabhat Krishnaswamy, a year alliance with the PLTA to develop his total sales of recycled plastic prod- senior researcher with Battelle in technologies for structural use of plas- ucts. J’Lynn Hare, general manager at Columbus, Ohio. Krishnaswamy is co- .ic lumber. The team will investigate Rumber Materials Industries, Muenster, chairman of the ASTM committee ”esidential decking, marine uses, and Texas, says her company’s plastic-board

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sales have dou- bled each year since 1991.Anum- ber of manufactur- ers expect to turn a modest profit in 1996 after years of purchased two existing plastic lumber process, but it ensures consistency,” operating in the makers-Duratech Industries, Lake says Kwiatkowski. red. Manufacturers say fluctuating Odessa, Mich., and Earth Care Products, Custom-Pac only uses material prices for recycled resins have fre- Sharon,Tenn. Both new subsidiaries will with a density between 0.9504.960 g/cc quently priced plastic lumber out of the now be called Earth Care Midwest. and with a melt index of 0.1-0.8 g/10 market. This, along with the low prof- min. ‘We look at every single truck- itability and competitiveness of the busi- FEEDSTOCK MAKES A DIFFERENCE load,” says Fow. Adds Kwiatkowski, ness has forced some companies out of Plastic lumber makers say the first ‘When you don’t know your material, production. “Its been very difficult,” says step to producing a reliable product is every day is a [processing] adventure.” Obex’s Johnson. getting consistent feedstock. In the Some manufacturers still favor use Still, a number of companies plan 198Os, much of the early plastic lumber of commingled recycled plastics, which to expand their operations: was made from commingled plastics. reportedly can be &lOC/lb cheaper than .Advanced Environmental Recy- Today, many more producers use sorted material. Obex’s Johnson says cling Technologies (A.E.R.T.) Inc. selected feedstock-primarily HDPE that if handled correctly, such material recently added a third plastic lumber bottles such as milk and water jugs and can yield a consistentlyhigh-qudityprod- line at its Junction, Texas, facility and is shampoo and detergent bottles. uct. Obex accepts all types of recycled planning to add a fourth. The company Firms such as American EcoBoard, LDPE, HDPE, PP, PET, PS, PVC, and also plans to open a second composite Custom-Pac, Trimax, Chicago-based mixed plastics including bags and PS lumber plant later this year. It will Eaglebrook Products Inc., and N.E.W. foam. The feedstock can be either baled have three extrusion lines. Plastics Corp. of Luxembourg, Wis., pur- or shredded, contaminated with liquids, .Custom-Pac increased its plant by chase sorted HDPE. They typically paper, or food waste. (Obex does not 12,000 sq ft and added a third plastic buy the material in bales or as washed wash feedstock before extruding it into lumber line. flake. “Even then it’s very difficult.to lumber.) Johnson works with her mate .Trimax plans to upgrade its equip keep the material consistent,” says rial suppliers to analyze the composition ment to raise capacity by 150%. N.E.W. president Irving Vincent “Ifthe of Werent resins in each source’s com- .BTW is adding a self-built extru- bales are left outside in the sun for six mingled blend. The provider makes a sion line to its North Ft. Myers plant, months, they will have a different commitment to supply a consistent which will double capacity there. strength than baled bottles put in aware- “recipe” having the same percentages Mket Industries Inc., Kalona, Ia., house, so we test it as it comes in and of components. With that assurance, is planning to purchase a second try not to stockpile so much.” American Obex can develop a consistent product.

PLASTICS TECHNOLOGY 0AUGUST 1996 37 b f I

NO ‘FANCY’ EQUIPMENT 75% HDPE’ Plastic lum- ber. is either flow molded (extru- ded into molds) or extruded as a continuous pro- file. Flow mold- ing machines are said to permit use of commingled plastics. One of in mechanical properties over commin- .Mob2 Chemical, Winchester, Va., the best-known molding systems is the gled. Sice80-90% of the material in com- makes a lumber composite of 40% film ET-1, a lhtation carousel machine (usu- mingled plastic waste is HDPE, CPRR reclaim and 60%sawdust. ally teamed with a singlescrew extruder) finds that the lumber exhibits mechani- bRumber Materials Industries made by Advanced Recycling Tech- cal properties that are 80-90%of virgin makes tongue-and-groove board out of nologies (ART.) of Brussels, Belgium. HDPE resin, he says. Nosker argues a 50/50 blend of PE from unwashed Eight ET-1 machines were sold in the that although the presence of PS in com- milk jugs and grocery bags with shred- US. in the last decade or so, according mingled material can as much as double ded rubber tires. to John Maczko, president of Mid- the compressive modulus, this variation .Strandex Corp., Madison, Wis., Atlantic Plastic Systems. Maczko repre is not significant because the modulus developed a composite extrusion pro- sented A.R.T. in the US. and sold the remains a small fraction of that of wood. cess in which profiles can be made ET-1 machines here. ART. is currently He says recycled material, whether using a polyolefin resin (30%of struc- represented here by Tex America. separated or commingled, typically ture) crosslinked with wood sawdust US. Plastic Lumber Co.’s continu- shows compressive strength similar to (70%). Any wood dust fiber can be ous-extrusion process produces plastic wood (around 3200 psi) despite the used, although the process has to lumber containing 80%HDPE, 10% lower stiffness. Virgin HDPE has a com- use a 70% loading to give the final LDPE, and a 10%of blend of other plas pressive modulus around 160,000 psi, product strength. Strandex, which has tics, says Enden. The company also while a plastic lumber product made been developing the process for two designed its own flow molding equipment from recycled HDPE typically has a years, typically uses a virgin HDPE to produce a premium-grade lumber modulus of about 110,000 psi, according resin. Strandex has developed tooling using lOO%postconsumerHDPE bottles. .. to Nosker. He says a soft wood like yel- and technical support to run the pro- The recycling systems unit of low pine shows a modulus in the direc- cess. It has licensed the technology to Maplan Schwerin of Vienna, Austria, tion of growth of 1.2-1.6 million psi. Crane Plastics, Columbus, Ohio, part of Starlinger & Co., says its 11/2 BTW Industries says the only appre- which is using a PVC resin in the pro- year-old Intrumat line far making plas- ciable benefit to using sorted materials cess to make vinyl profiles. A tic lumber from commingled materials is aesthetics. ‘Weuse recyclable plastics, spokesman at Strandex says the com- will be offered in the US. soon. Intru- types 1-7, and we think they enhance the pany is talking with a plastics recycler mat accommodates four to 16 molds, stiffness of our product So what we trade about using recycled materials with each containing a pressure sensor. Melt off in cosmetics we get back in mechan- the process. flow creates the pressure in the mold ical properties,” says Bob Lehrman, oper- .Environmental Solutions, Inc., and triggers mold closing and indexing. 1 ations manager at BTW. Richmond, Va., is building a plant in Suf- The line, typically fitted with a Maplan I In addition, some plastic lumber folk, Va., to produce 250,000 palletdyr single-screw extruder, has a top makers add other materials to their of recycled HDPE with 4050%peanut throughput rate of 3000 lb/hr. product to make a reinforced or com- hulls. The company’s “Nuevowood” Mid-Atlantic Plastic Systems posite product. Many in the industry product is said to be suitable also for recently began marketing a brand-new expect that reinforced materials will siding, fascias, soffits, door cores, carousel molding machine called the assume a larger share of the structural fencing, and furniture. JET3000 from Julien Environmental market. In addition, many processors incor- Technology of Belgium. The machine .Trimax adds 20%chopped glass porate additives such as uv stabilizers, was designed by Phillipe Julien, the for- fiber to its lumber. colorants, and chemical blowing agents mer owner of ART. and developer of .Seaward International, Clear- to increase the stiffness-to-weight ratio. the ET-1 and MT-1 molding machines brook, Va., makes a fiberglass-rein- Plastic lumber typically has a foamed for processing commingled plastics into forced product using a pultrusion core with a gradation in cell size that plastic lumber. The JET3000is a 12-sta- process. leaves a solid outer layer 0.5 to 1in. thick. tion machine that operates at low pres- sure. Mid-Atlantic also markets the compounding if the plastic lumber busi- oped special water-spray cooling to JEM, a machine for heavy-walled prod- ness didn’t work,” Noto says. increase the heat-transfer rate from thick ucts like pallets. The JEM is available All lumber makers interviewed say products. Noto says Trimaxis developing in a shuttle-style model or a seven-sta- their screws, dies, and vacuum calibra- downstream technology to achieve rates tion carousel. The JET 3000 costs tors are proprietary designs. Fow says his approaching ZOO0 Ib/hr. ‘We’re looking around $375,000, which includes a set tooling costs about $6000 per line. to improve on the saws, pullers, spray of 12 molds and two blenders. Output Custom-Pac and Trimax both devel- tanks, everything downstream.” 00 rate is 600 lb/hr. The JEM with one mold set starts at $400,00b for the shuttle model. Output ranges from 600 to 1200 Ib/hr with 4.5 in. extruder. Most lumber makers surveyed say the trend in machinery is toward contin- uous extrusion of sorted material and away from flow molding of commingled plastics. Siglescrew machines predom- inate. American Ecc-Board, for example, uses two Davis-Standard singlescrews. All manufacturers interviewed run lum- ber at rates from 500 to 1000 Ib/hr. Equipment used may not represent the latest in sophistication. For example, Obex’s Johnson says her firm relies on two “antiqueEgan machines,”while Cus- tom-Pac’s two lines use a $l-yr-~ld,3.5in. Prodex machine from HPM and a 34yr- old, 4.541.extruder from Egan (now Egan Davis-Standard). Fow found the 3.5in. machine sitting in a field in Geauga County, Ohio, outside the grounds of a defunct plant that formerly made PVC pipe. Fow was so satisfied with the machine that he purchased a new 2.5in. HPM extruder for plastic lumber and a 3.Si.HPM model for the other products he makes from recycled plastics. At the opposite end of the scale is ‘Trimax, which bought new twin-screw machines from Berstorff and Werner &I Pfleiderer. ‘We bought both machines new because we intended to go int

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