Method of manufacturing composite board

• US 20060145384A1
• Filed: 01/17/2006
• Published: 07/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Masco Cabinetry LLC (Cabinetworks Group Michigan LLC)
• Original Assignee: Masco Retail Cabinet Group LLC (Cabinetworks Group Michigan LLC)
• Inventors: Singer, Larry
• Granted Patent: US 7,459,493 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 264/122
• CPC Class Codes: B27N 3/00 Manufacture of substantially flat articles, e.g. boards, from particles or fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B27N 3/002 characterised by the type of binder compositions of macromolecular compounds C08L
• CPC Class Codes: B27N 3/007 and at least partly composed of recycled material
• CPC Class Codes: B27N 3/28 characterised by using extrusion presses
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/58 comprising fillers only , e.g. particles, powder, beads, flakes, spheres B29C70/025 takes precedence, agglomerating hollow spheres to produce synthetic foam B29C70/66; compounding ingredients per se C08K
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2711/14 Wood, e.g. woodboard or fibreboard
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/04 as impregnant, bonding, or embedding substance not used
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/06 as the main or only constituent of a layer, which is next to another layer of the same or of a different material next to a layer of a particular substance B32B9/045; next to a bituminous or tarry layer B32B11/046; next to a water setting substance layer B32B13/12; next to a metal layer B32B15/08; next to a glass layer B32B17/10; next to a layer formed of natural mineral fibres or particles B32B19/045; next to a wood layer B32B21/08; next to a cellulosic plastic layer B32B23/08; next to a natural or synthetic rubber layer B32B25/08
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/253 Cellulosic [e.g., wood, paper, cork, rayon, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31989 Of wood

Abstract

A composite board is made from waste medium density fiber (MDF) board or waste particle board that includes solid urea formaldehyde. The waste board is chopped and milled into particles having a size between 20 mesh and 150 mesh, creating a waste flour. After removing moisture from the waste flour, the dried waste flour is mixed with a thermoplastic to bind and encapsulate the waste flour. Internal lubricants are added to improve the flow characteristics of the blended material, and external lubricants are added to present sticking of the mixture to an extruder or mold. Mineral fillers are added to improve the flexural modules of the composite board, and a plasticizer can be added to improve the physical properties or mechanical characteristics of the mixture. An ultraviolet absorber, a biocide, and a pigment can also be added. The blended material is extruded or molded into a desired shape. When cooled, the thermoplastic hardens to form a solid composite board.

Claims

1. A method of making a composite material comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of wood particles and a plurality of solid urea formaldehyde particles to form a mixture;

mixing said mixture with a bonding agent; and

forming the composite material.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said mixture includes 8-15% urea formaldehyde by weight.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said plurality of wood particles and said plurality of solid urea formaldehyde particles are integrated into a panel, and the step of providing said plurality of wood particles and said plurality of urea formaldehyde particles includes chopping said panel into said plurality of wood particles and said plurality of urea formaldehyde particles.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said plurality of wood particles and said plurality of solid urea formaldehyde particles have a size between 150 mesh and 20 mesh.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 further including the step of drying said mixture.

6. The method as recited in claim 5 wherein the step of drying said mixture includes reducing a moisture content of said mixture to less than one half of 1%.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said bonding agent is one of high density polyethylene, low density polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, impact co-polymer polypropylene, and styrene acrylonitril.

8. The method as recited in claim 1 further including the step of mixing said mixture with a first lubricant and a second lubricant.

9. The method as recited in claim 8 wherein said first lubricant is zinc stearate and said second lubricant is ethylene bis-steramide.

10. The method as recited in claim 1 further including the step of mixing said mixture with a plurality of mineral filler particles.

11. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein said plurality of filler particles is one of magnesium silicate, calcium carbonate, and aluminum tri-hydrate.

12. The method as recited in claim 1 further including the step of mixing said mixture with a plasticizer.

13. The method as recited in claim 1 further including the steps of mixing said mixture with at least one of an ultraviolet absorber, a biocide, and a pigment.

14. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the step of forming the composite material includes cooling said composite material.

15. A method of making a composite material comprising the steps of:

providing a panel including a plurality of wood particles and a plurality of solid urea formaldehyde particles;

reducing said panel into said plurality of wood particles and said plurality of solid urea formaldehyde particles to form a mixture;

drying said mixture;

mixing said mixture with a bonding agent, a first lubricant, a second lubricant, and a mineral filler; and

forming the composite material.

16. The method as recited in claim 15 wherein the step of reducing said panel includes chopping said panel into said plurality of wood particles and said plurality a plurality of particles having a size between 150 mesh and 20 mesh.

17. The method as recited in claim 15 wherein said bonding agent is high density polyethylene, said first lubricant is zinc stearate, and said second lubricant is ethylene bis-steramide.

18. The method as recited in claim 15 further including the step of mixing said mixture with a plasticizer.

19. The method as recited in claim 18 wherein the composite material includes approximately 40-70% of said plurality of wood particles and said plurality of solid urea formaldehyde particles, approximately 30-50% of said bonding agent, approximately 1-3% of said first lubricant and said second lubricant, approximately 3-12% of said mineral filler, and approximately 0.05-3% of said plasticizer.

20. An assembly for forming a composite material comprising:

a chopper to chop a panel into a plurality of particles formed of wood particles and solid urea formaldehyde particles;

a dryer to dry said plurality of particles;

a blender to blend said plurality of particles with a bonding agent to form mixture; and

an extruder to extrude said mixture into the composite material.

21. The assembly as recited in claim 20 wherein said wood particles are virgin wood.

22. The assembly as recited in claim 20 wherein said dryer reduces a moisture content of said plurality of particles to less than one half of 1%.

23. The assembly as recited in claim 20 wherein a first lubricant, a second lubricant, a mineral filler and a plasticizer are added to said blender.