Recycled Plastics & Environmental Resources

What is Altree^TM?
What is a thermoplastic?
Which thermoplastic does Altree^TM contain?
Where do the recycled plastic milk bottles come from?
What type of wood fiber is used in Altree^TM?
Why is juniper or ponderosa pine the fiber of choice?
What form of wood is used in Altree^TM?
Is Altree^TM environmentally friendly?
How is forest health improved?
How are ground water supplies increased by removing undesirable species?
Does Altree^TM possess superior water stability properties?
Why does Altree^TM possess superior decay and termite resistance properties?
How does Altree^TM withstand sudden impacts?
How does Altree^TM stand up to animal damage?
What mechanical and physical properties does Altree^TM have?
What are the limitations to the use of Altree^TM?
How is Altree^TM made?
Does Altree^TM contain other additives?
Is there a performance history for signs made from Altree^TM?
Is additional research being conducted on Altree^TM?

1. What is Altree^TM?
A composite that contains wood fiber and a thermoplastic material.
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2. What is a thermoplastic?
A plastic material that can be repeatedly melted and cooled, such as polyethylene or polyvinyl chloride.
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3. Which thermoplastic does Altree^TM contain?
High density polyethylene obtained from recycled plastic milk bottles.
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4. Where do the recycled plastic milk bottles come from?
For the Altree^TM plant in Mountainair, NM, they come from the metro Albuquerque area. Altree^TM also sponsors collection programs with schools in Mountainair.
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5. What type of wood fiber is used in Altree^TM?
Juniper or ponderosa pine is preferred. However, Altree^TM can also be made from other tree or shrub species, including a number of hardwoods.
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6. Why is juniper or ponderosa pine the fiber of choice?
Using these species reduces the environmental impact of harvesting and processing forest products, improves the utilization of wood wastes and residues, improves forest health, increases ground water supplies, and most importantly, significantly reduces hazardous fuel loading at wild land-urban interfaces.
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7. What form of wood is used in Altree^TM?
It is in particle or fiber form.
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8. Is Altree^TM environmentally friendly?
Yes. The product is made from scrub or tree species that have no value or that do more harm than good to the ecosystem. These tree species are combined with a recycled plastic to form the product. When the Altree^TM product is no longer needed, it can be totally recycled into another form and re-used without a loss in properties. Altree^TM also possesses superior moisture and decay resistant properties, yet uses no synthetic or environmentally harmful chemicals.
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9. How is forest health improved?
Removing undesirable species provides more space and nutrients for the remaining healthy and desirable tree species.
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10. How are ground water supplies increased by removing undesirable species?
Data has shown that juniper trees, for example, draw large quantities of water from nearby streams and watersheds. Removing them improves stream flows and water availability.
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11. Does Altree^TM possess superior water stability properties?
Yes. A normal wood composite like particleboard or medium density fiberboard is very susceptible to thickness swelling when exposed to high humidity or water. Because Altree^TM is made with a combination of wood fiber and plastic, it exhibits significantly less swelling. Water soaking data indicates that Altree^TM swells about 0.8% after 24 hours, whereas particleboard or fiberboard completely disintegrate. After 7 days of water soaking, Altree^TM swelled only 1.6%, and the swelling did not increase as water soaking tests continued.
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12. Why does Altree^TM possess superior decay and termite resistance properties?
Compared to solid wood or other wood composite products, Altree^TM exhibits vastly superior resistance to fungal decay. Because the wood fiber in Altree^TM is encapsulated with recycled high density polyethylene, exposure of the wood to elevated moisture content is greatly reduced, thereby removing an essential ingredient for promoting fungal decay. Studies also have shown that resin extracts from juniper or pine, which are used in Altree^TM, possess significant anti-fungal and anti-termite properties.
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13. How does Altree^TM withstand sudden impacts?
Since the Altree^TM process uses wood fibers instead of wood flour, it possesses increased mechanical properties. When struck with a bullet, the entrance and exit holes in Altree^TM panels are about the same diameter. This performance is greatly improved compared to plywood, for example, where the bullet causes severe splintering on exit. Bullet holes in Altree^TM can be repaired easily.
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14. How does Altree^TM stand up to animal damage?
Field exposure tests indicate that animals like porcupines, for example, do not eat Altree^TM. This contrasts with plywood panels that have undergone similar exposure. Porcupines eat the resin that is used to bond the veneer layers in plywood.
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15. What mechanical and physical properties does Altree^TM have?

Property Value
Static Bending MOR (MPa) 14.70
Static Bending MOE (GPa) 1.42
Water Immersion
   -Thickness Swell 24-H (%) 0.80
   -Thickness Swell 168-H (%) 1.63
   -Water Absorption 24-H (%) 4.38
   -Water Absorption 168-H (%) 9.68

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16. What are the limitations to the use of Altree^TM?
Altree^TM can be used for hundreds of indoor and outdoor applications that do not require structural duration-of-load properties. Altree^TM cannot be used in a roof or floor truss, or in a load-bearing wall because it contains a plastic material that softens when it is exposed to elevated temperatures. Therefore, loads on the structure would cause the component to sag and ultimately fail.
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17. How is Altree^TM made?
This is a two step process. Raw materials are first mixed together in a process called compounding; the compounded material is then formed into a product. Compounding is the feeding and dispersing of fillers and additives in the molten material. The compounded material is then pressed or shaped into an end product. The Altree^TM process combines the compounding and product manufacturing steps in an operation called in-line processing.
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18. Does Altree^TM contain other additives?
Yes. It contains environmentally harmless materials that are added in small amounts to affect processing and performance. Although our formulations are proprietary, additives used may include coupling agents, light stabilizers, pigments, lubricants, fungicides, and foaming agents. Additive packages are designed for specific customer end-use applications. Note that these additives do not leach out of the product when they are exposed to moisture or extreme weather conditions.
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19. Is there a performance history for signs made from Altree^TM?
Signs made from Altree^TM are used by the South Central Mountain Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD), the Otero SWCD, the Claunch-Pinto SWCD, the Carrizozo Resource Conservation District, the New Mexico Forestry Division, and the Coronado, the Kaibab and the Cibola National Forests of the U.S. Forest Service, to name a few. Signs in some of these locations have been exposed to extreme weather conditions for several years. Performance to date has been excellent in all respects.
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20. Is additional research being conducted on Altree^TM?
Yes. Altree^TM has contracted with the USDA Forest Service Forest Products Laboratory to conduct a two phase research program aimed at the development of various compounding, processing and performance packages that can be used to further improve the performance of customer products. We will be obtaining data on Altree^TM for moisture sorption, UV stability, fungal resistance, flexural tests and impact performance. This information will help tailor Altree^TM formulations for specific customer needs.
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