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Title: PROPERTIES OF MEDIUM-DENSITY PARTICLEBOARD FROM SALINE ATHEL WOOD

Author
item ZHENG, YI - UC DAVIS, DAVIS, CA
item Pan, Zhongli
item ZHANG, RUIHONG - UC DAVIS, DAVIS, CA
item JENKINS, BRYAN - UC DAVIS, DAVIS, CA
item BLUNK, SHERRY - UC DAVIS, DAVIS, CA

Submitted to: American Society of Agricultural Engineers Meetings Papers
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/20/2005
Publication Date: 7/16/2005
Citation: Zheng, Y., Pan, Z., Zhang, R., Jenkins, B., Blunk, S. 2005. Properties of Medium-density Particleboard from Saline Athel Wood. American Society of Agricultural Engineers Meetings Papers. ASAE Paper No. 056128. p. 1-15. St. Joseph, MI.

Interpretive Summary: Athel, Tamarix aphylla (L), a saline wood, is a potential biomass crop for helping to manage saline subsurface drainage water in arid land irrigated agriculture. Athel, as a woody crop, was used in this study with the objectives to characterize the mechanical properties and dimensional stability of medium-density particleboard. The results showed that Athel wood could be an excellent material for particleboard production.

Technical Abstract: Athel, Tamarix aphylla (L), a saline wood, is a potential biomass crop for helping to manage saline subsurface drainage water in arid land irrigated agriculture. Athel, as a woody crop, was used in this study with the objectives to characterize the mechanical properties and dimensional stability of medium-density particleboard. The influence on the properties of particleboards made from Athel were investigated for different adhesives including polymeric methane diphenyl diisocyanate (PMDI) and urea formaldehyde (UF) resin, particle size, bark weight ratios (BW), resin weight ratios (RW) and hot water treatment. Water absorption, thickness swell and mechanical properties including tensile strength (TS), modulus of rupture (MOR), modulus of elasticity (MOE) and internal bond strength (IB) of the finished particleboards were measured. Except for MOR, the particleboard made with PMDI had better mechanical properties and water resistance than that made with UF. The mechanical properties and dimensional stability of particleboard with medium particle size (i.e., 20~40 mesh) were better than those of the particleboards with smaller (i.e., 40~60 mesh) and larger (10~20 mesh) particles. The mechanical properties were improved as RW increased from 7% to 16%, but were lowered as BW increased from zero to 16.2%. The particleboard derived from 20~40 mesh particles without bark and 16% UF resin had the best mechanical properties and dimensional stability. The particleboard manufactured from hot water-treated particles had poor mechanical properties and dimensional stability compared with those made from the untreated particles. The equilibrium moisture content (EMC) of particleboard increased as relative humidity (RH) increased. In addition, results showed that the pH of particles decreased as MC and BW decreased.