Experimental Investigation on the Mechanical and Physical Properties of Particleboard From Residual Materials With Lowland Bamboo Chip Composition

Abstract

In Ethiopia, there is a significant amount of agricultural residues produced, and finding sustainable ways to recycle them can help to avoid the negative impacts of improper disposal in landfills. The objective of this study is to evaluate the mechanical and physical properties of particleboard (PB) made from reused coffee husk (CH), maize cob (MC) residues, and lowland bamboo (LB) chips. The particles used ranged from 0.75 mm to 3 mm length, and boards were manufactured with different weight ratios of these materials. The particles were bonded together using a 12% urea-formaldehyde resin (UFR), and a hot-pressing machine was utilized to create the PB. Experimental tests were conducted on the PB to assess its mechanical properties (bending, compressive, and impact strength), both in dry and wet conditions, and also physical properties (density, water absorption, moisture content, and thermogravimetric analysis) and evaluated following the standards set by JIS A 5908 and ASTM D 1037. In comparison, PB crafted from 75% bamboo, 12.5% CH, and 12.5% MC exhibited superior mechanical and physical characteristics as compared with other types of PBs. Conversely, 12.5% bamboo, 75% CH, and 12.5% MC showed the weakest performance in both wet and dry conditions. The efficacy of the proposed solution was confirmed through testing against the commercial eucalyptus tree particleboard (EPB) and industry standards. In both dry and wet conditions, the mechanical properties of PB were enhanced by increasing the bamboo particle content and reducing the CH and MC particles. The experimental findings revealed that the proposed solution had superior bending, compressive, and impact strength compared with commercial products by 13.05%, 23.06%, and 14.07% in dry conditions and 23.03%, 15.45%, and 21.25% in wet conditions, respectively, and meeting IS3087 standards. This suggests that the proposed solution comprising 75% bamboo, 12.5% CH, and 12.5% MC particles could serve as a viable alternative to commercial EPB, thereby safeguarding the environment from the adverse effects of eucalyptus trees.