Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

• Reza Hajihassani ¹
• kamyar salehi ²
• Fardad Golbabaei ³
• Hashem Rahamin ²
• meysam mehdinia ²

¹ Associate Prof. Wood and Forest Products Science Research Division, Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Agricultural Research Education and Extension Organization (AREEO) P.O. Box 13185-116, Tehran, Iran

² Assistant Prof., Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Agricultural Research Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, Iran

³ Wood and Forest Products Science Research Division, Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Agricultural Research Education and Extension Organization (AREEO) P.O. Box 13185-116, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Background and Objectives: The country's forest resources limitation and prohibition of wood import, have caused several problems in providing lignocellulosic raw materials. Therefore, the use of lignocellulosic waste resources shows important role in this field. Particleboard is one of the wood composite products which can be produced using various types of lignocellulosic materials such as agricultural residue. One of the available agricultural wastes in the country is rice husk, which can be used in production of particleboard. However, the use of agricultural lignocellulosic residues impose negative impact on engineering characteristic of produced boards. Therefore, the objective of this research is to evaluate the possibility of rice husk application in particleboard production and also obtain an optimal composition of raw material and the other production conditions.
Methodology: Rice husk and industrial wood particles were collected from the Gilan province and 22 Bahman Particleboard Company, respectively. The steps in particleboard production included screening, drying, gluing, formation and pressing. In this study, the composition of raw material (100% industrial wood particles, 90% industrial wood particles and 10% rice husk, 80% industrial wood particles and 20% rice husk, 70% industrial wood particles and 30% rice husk) was considered as a variable factor and the other factors including the resin consumption (10% based on dry weight of the board), pressing temperature (180 °C), pressing pressure (25 kg/cm²) and pressing time (4 minutes) were considered as fixed factors. A total of 12 laboratory boards with three replications were produced for each treatment. Then, the samples were prepared from each board according to the EN326-1 guidelines. Physical and mechanical tests included measurement of water absorption and thickness swelling after 2 and 24 hours of immersion in water, bending strength, modulus of elasticity and internal bonding. The results were analyzed based on a complete randomized design within the framework of a factorial experiment by SPSS software. Duncan's multiple range test was used to compare mean values.
Results: The results of this study showed that the composition of raw materials affects all physical and mechanical properties of manufactured boards. Increasing of rice husk consumption decreased the bending strength, modulus of elasticity and internal bonding and also increased the water absorption and thickness swelling after 2 and 24 hours immersion in water.
Conclusion: In general, the results of current study revealed that consumption of rice husk in small quantity (up to 10% composition of the raw material) can provide boards with acceptable physical and mechanical properties; but higher amounts, lead to a decrease in physical and mechanical properties of the boards. Therefore, small amounts of rice husk can be used as substituted raw materials in combination with industrial wood particles in particleboard industry.

Keywords

• Particle board
• rice husk
• physical and mechanical properties

Main Subjects

• Composite wood products