Cellulosic/polymer composite material

• US 6,971,211 B1
• Filed: 03/17/2004
• Issued: 12/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AZEK Group LLC
• Original Assignee: Crane Plastics Company LLC
• Inventors: Zehner, Burch E.
• Primary Examiner(s): SZEKELY, PETER A
• Application Number:
  US10/802,467
• Time in Patent Office: 629 Days
• Field of Search: 521/84.1, 521143-145, 524 13- 14, 524/35, 428/516, 428/532, 525/18
• US Class Current: 52/518
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 13/0864 composed of superposed elements which overlap each other and of which the flat outer surface includes an acute angle with the surface to cover
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31913 Monoolefin polymer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31971 Of carbohydrate

Abstract

The present invention is a component such as a siding panel that may be comprised of various formulations of cellulosic/polymer composite materials. One embodiment of the present invention is a siding panel that is comprised of a cellulosic/PVC composite material. This composite material may include at least one cellulosic filler in the amount of about 30% to about 60% by weight and a PVC material in the amount of about 40% to about 70% by weight. The PVC material may include about 1 to about 10 parts stabilizer(s) per 100 parts of the PVC resin, about 2 to about 12 parts lubricant(s) per 100 parts of the PVC resin, and about 0.5 to about 8 parts process aid(s) per 100 parts of the PVC resin. Another embodiment of the present invention is a siding panel that may be comprised of a cellulosic/polypropylene composite material. This composite material is comprised of at least one cellulosic filler in an amount of about 30% to about 70% by weight and a polypropylene material in an amount of about 30% to about 70% by weight. The polypropylene material includes at least one lubricant in an amount of about 10 to about 20 parts per 100 parts of a polypropylene resin.

Claims

1. A siding unit comprising:

a panel having at least three courses comprised of a cellulosic/polymer composite, said composite comprising;

(a) at least one cellulosic filler in an amount of about 30% to about 60% by weight of said composite; and

(b) at least one polyvinyl chloride material in an amount of about 40% to about 70% by weight of said composite, said at least one polyvinyl chloride material comprised of at least one stabilizer in an amount of about 1 to about 10 parts per 100 parts of a polyvinyl chloride resin, at least one lubricant in an amount of about 2 to about 12 parts per 100 parts of said polyvinyl chloride resin, at least one process aid in an amount of about 0.5 to about 8 parts per 100 parts of said polyvinyl chloride resin, and at least one inorganic filler in an amount up to about 10 parts per 100 parts of said polyvinyl chloride resin.

2. The siding unit of claim 1 wherein said at least one cellulosic filler is in an amount of about 40% to about 50% by weight of said composite.

3. The siding unit of claim 2 wherein said at least one cellulosic filler is in an amount of about 48% to about 50% by weight of said composite.

4. The siding unit of claim 1 wherein said at least one cellulosic filler is wood flour.

5. The siding unit of claim 1 wherein said at least one polyvinyl chloride material is in an amount of about 50% to about 60% by weight of said composite.

6. The siding unit of claim 5 wherein said at least one polyvinyl chloride material is in an amount of about 50% to about 52% by weight of said composite.

7. The siding unit of claim 1 wherein said at least one stabilizer is in an amount of about 3 to about 5 parts per 100 parts of said polyvinyl chloride resin.

8. The siding unit of claim 1 wherein said at least one lubricant is in an amount of about 4 to about 8 parts per 100 parts of said polyvinyl chloride resin.

9. The siding unit of claim 1 wherein said at least one process aid is in an amount of about 1 to about 3 parts per 100 parts of said polyvinyl chloride resin.

10. The siding unit of claim 1 wherein:

said at least one cellulosic filler is in an amount of about 40% to about 50% by weight of said composite; and

said at least one polyvinyl chloride material is in an amount of about 50% to about 60% by weight of said composite, said at least one polyvinyl chloride material being comprised of said at least one stabilizer in an amount of about 3 to about 5 parts per 100 parts of said polyvinyl chloride resin, said at least one lubricant in an amount of about 4 to about 8 parts per 100 parts of said polyvinyl chloride resin, and said at least one process aid in an amount of about 1 to about 3 parts per 100 parts of said polyvinyl chloride resin.

17. The siding unit of claim 1 further comprising a foam backer secured to said panel.

18. The siding unit of claim 10 wherein:

said at least one cellulosic filler is in an amount of about 48% to about 50% by weight of said composite; and

said at least one polyvinyl chloride material is in an amount of about 50% to about 52% by weight of said composite.

21. The siding unit of claim 1 wherein:

said panel has a portion that folds over to form a tongue, said tongue adapted to fit in a groove of an adjacent, substantially similar siding unit;

wherein said tongue is comprised of said composite.

22. The siding unit of claim 1 wherein:

said panel has a bottom portion that forms a groove that opens toward a top portion of said panel, said groove adapted to receive a tongue of an adjacent, substantially similar siding unit;

wherein said groove is comprised of said composite.

23. The siding unit of claim 1 wherein:

said panel has a top portion that folds over to form a tongue and a bottom portion that forms a groove that opens toward said top portion such that said tongue is adapted to fit in said groove of an adjacent, substantially similar siding unit;

wherein said tongue and said groove are comprised of said composite.

11. A siding unit comprising:

a panel having at least three courses comprised of a cellulosic/polymer composite, said composite comprising;

(a) at least one cellulosic filler in an amount of about 30% to about 70% by weight of said composite; and

(b) at least one polypropylene material in an amount of about 30% to about 70% by weight of said composite, said at least one polypropylene material comprised of at least one lubricant in an amount of about 10 to about 20 parts per 100 parts of a polypropylene resin and at least one inorganic filler in an amount up to about 70 parts per 100 parts of said polypropylene resin.

12. The siding unit of claim 11 wherein said at least one cellulosic filler is in an amount of about 40% to about 50% by weight of said composite.

14. The siding unit of claim 11 wherein said at least one polypropylene material is in an amount of about 50% to about 60% by weight of said composite.

15. The siding unit of claim 11 wherein said at least one lubricant is in an amount of about 14 to about 19 parts per 100 parts of said polypropylene resin.

16. The siding unit of claim 11 wherein said at least one inorganic filler is in an amount of about 20 to about 60 parts per 100 parts of said polypropylene resin.

19. The siding unit of claim 11 further comprising a foam backer secured to said panel.

20. The siding unit of claim 11 wherein:

said at least one cellulosic filler is in an amount of about 40% to about 50% by weight of said composite; and

said at least one polypropylene material is in an amount of about 50% to about 60% by weight of said composite, said at least one polypropylene material being comprised of said at least one lubricant in an amount of about 14 to about 19 parts per 100 parts of said polypropylene resin and said at least one inorganic filler in an amount of about 20 to about 60 parts per 100 parts of said polypropylene resin.

24. The siding unit of claim 11 wherein:

said panel has a portion that folds over to form a tongue, said tongue adapted to fit in a groove of an adjacent, substantially similar siding unit;

wherein said tongue is comprised of said composite.

25. The siding unit of claim 11 wherein:

said panel has a bottom portion that forms a groove that opens toward a top portion of said panel, said groove adapted to receive a tongue of an adjacent, substantially similar siding unit;

wherein said groove is comprised of said composite.

26. The siding unit of claim 11 wherein:

said panel has a top portion that folds over to form a tongue and a bottom portion that forms a groove that opens toward said top portion such that said tongue is adapted to fit in said groove of an adjacent, substantially similar siding unit;

wherein said tongue and said groove are comprised of said composite.

13. The siding unit of 11 wherein said at least one cellulosic filler is wood flour.