Production of mahogany particleboards using branches and wood residues

Mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla King) is one of the most valuable wood species found in the American Continent. This study is an evaluation of the production of particleboards using wood residues from the branches and trunk of a mahogany tree. It was designed to test the feasibility of production and the mechanical and physical characteristics of the finished particleboards, as well as to compare the results with similar studies and the requirements of normative documents. The particles were generated from the trunk and branches of a mahogany tree separately and mixed in different proportions to test their influence on the final product. They were bonded using 12% polyurethane resin from renewable resources and pressed under 90º C and 3.5 MPa for 10 minutes. The specimens were prepared and tested according to the guidelines established by the NBR 14810 regarding the static bending, internal bond, stiffness and thickness swelling (24h) tests. The results indicated that there is no significant correlation between the trunk-branches proportion and the Modulus of Elasticity/Rupture values. The production of the particleboards using the residues is feasible and the results of most of the tests fitted the normative requirements, which means that with the refinement of the production process it is possible to have a good product that fully complies with the technical standards.

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