Wood and other natural fibre - plastic composites (WPC) are
widely used materials in manufacturing extruded products to
substitute wooden lumber in many outdoor applications. More
consistent properties, no splitting nor splintering, it is rot resistant
and does not contain hazardous chemicals like CCA or creosol
treated lumber - but can be treated (cut, drilled, painted, fastened
with nails and screws) just like wood - are reasons for the high
growth rate of over 20% in this market segment. No other plastics
nor building product segment has been growing faster in recent
years !

Conenor has developed and implemented the only conical
extruder in the world, Conex®, into an advanced
OneStepProcess where all necessary processing steps;
- grinding of wood into fibres and recycled plastics
- moisture removal
- compounding of wood and plastics and necessary additives
- extrusion of products in short residence time and at high wood
contents over 80% are all done on-line in one step and by one
single equipment; the Conex® Wood Extruder.

Conex® Wood Extruder can utilize coarse (no sizing) and wet (no
drying) sawing waste and other low cost natural fibre materials
without compounding fed directly into the extruder. Larger wood
particles become grinded into fibres by the extruder. The energy
in steam of the released water in wet wood is ejected out of the
extruder and can be utilized in a heat exchanger to preheat the
incoming wood. By taking the benefit of the existing water in
wood, coloring of WPC throughout in the Conex®-process is done
in negligible cost on-line by dosing into the extruder hopper a few
per mil reactive coloring agent commonly used in the textile
industry.

Multilayer WPC-profiles and boards are produced with
Conex®-extruders having multiple rotors and using the same
simple and low cost die as for single layer products. Simple low
cost die design and lower extrusion pressures used result the
density of WPC made by the Conex®-process being clearly lower
than commonly in the market place and consequently providing
lighter weight WPC-products. This all adds to the versatility and
flexibility of the technique in making new value added and tailored
products for various applications.

Conex® technology is ideal for using recycled plastics and
composite materials. They do not need to be dry neither
pre-compounded. Other polyolefins and small amounts of
thermosetting plastics are allowed to exist in the polymer
mix together with PE or PP - they may not become melted but
will be grinded into small particles and act as fillers in WPC.
Also soft metals (Al, Cu) are allowed and can be processed in
a mixed blend with PE or PP.

Independent test report on Conenor sample WPC-profiles proves that high material strength being equal to sawn lumber and by far superior to particle board is achieved with WPC.

Conex® Wood Extruders are manufactured and commissioned for Conenor licensees by company Maillefer S.A. at its premises in Vantaa, Finland.