| abstract |
A polymer wood composite material comprises a polymeric component, wood flour, a coupling agent, a thermal stabilizer component, a plasticizer, a foaming agent, and a pigment. Preferably, the composite material exhibits better hardness than natural wood, as well as less water absorption (<5% by weight) and less thickness swelling (<1%) than natural wood when submerged in water for at least 24 hours, wherein the thickness swelling is measured as a percentage of original thickness. The composite material may be used to form a building component for use in the production of furniture and buildings, such as a doorjamb. In addition, a method of producing an extrudable mixture for an extrusion process to produce a polymer wood composite material is disclosed, wherein the method preferably does not include any pre-drying, pre-treatment or pelletizing processes. |