"New woodplastic composite to boost industry"

[andrewd]

http://www.physorg.com/news79094005.html

implications for basses & cabs? excerpt below


The new wood-plastic composites use superior compatibilizers developed in Li's laboratory, and an innovative technology for mixing wood and thermoplastics such as nylons, in which the melting temperature of the plastic is higher than the wood degradation temperature.

With this approach, the new wood-plastic composites can use very inexpensive plastics such as those found in old carpet fibers – about 4.4 billion pounds of which are now wasted every year, going into landfills where they are extremely slow to biodegrade and pose a significant waste disposal problem.

They could also open the door for improved utilization of low-grade woody biomass from needed thinning of Oregon forests, which is increasingly being done to improve forest health and prevent catastrophic wildfire. A better "value added" use for that wood fiber could be important, experts say.

The technology may prompt a major expansion of the wood-plastic composite industry into new types of products and uses, experts say. In particular, such products may help further replace wood treated with chemical preservatives, some of which have already been banned due to health and environmental concerns.

[Hambone]

Originally Posted by andrewd

http://www.physorg.com/news79094005.html

implications for basses & cabs? excerpt below


The new wood-plastic composites use superior compatibilizers developed in Li's laboratory, and an innovative technology for mixing wood and thermoplastics such as nylons, in which the melting temperature of the plastic is higher than the wood degradation temperature.

With this approach, the new wood-plastic composites can use very inexpensive plastics such as those found in old carpet fibers – about 4.4 billion pounds of which are now wasted every year, going into landfills where they are extremely slow to biodegrade and pose a significant waste disposal problem.


They could also open the door for improved utilization of low-grade woody biomass from needed thinning of Oregon forests, which is increasingly being done to improve forest health and prevent catastrophic wildfire. A better "value added" use for that wood fiber could be important, experts say.

The technology may prompt a major expansion of the wood-plastic composite industry into new types of products and uses, experts say. In particular, such products may help further replace wood treated with chemical preservatives, some of which have already been banned due to health and environmental concerns.

Probably not.

The wood used in instrument making must have characteristics above and beyond the utilitarian. For one, it must transmit vibrations in a particular frequency range (builders choice). This is called a "tap tone" because it's judged by listening to a sample as it's rapped with the knuckle. "Lively" and "open" are two adjectives used to describe a good taptone. This is impossible to achieve with any "wood" that doesn't retain the cell structure of the original tree. Add to that the relatively soft plastics like nylon and you'll have a great decking but a literal black hole for tone.

Addendum:
I reread your post and saw the mention of cabinets. The material requirements are practically the opposite of a bass. If it were possible to make a cabinet that was perfectly inert to the vibrations of the drivers, it would meet meet the needs of some very hi-fi speakers. Another consideration would be how much this stuff weighs. What might be good for a home theater application might not be so good for a gigging musician.