• Cheng, Qingzheng
  Master of Science (in Forestry)
  

The use of wood plastic composite (WPC) materials has been popular as a durable material for applications such as residential decking. For shoreline or ground contact installations, WPCs may be exposed to water for extended periods' Therefore water cycling is an important factor that may affect the properties of WPCs. In this study, a WPC, specifically extruded wood polypropylene composite, was studied' The moisture content, diffusion dynamics, bulk mechanical properties, and microstructural changes in the material subjected to soaking-drying cycles were investigated. The microstructure of the material in dry, wet and redried states was examined in three dimensions using an X- ray microtomography (XMT).