Feasibility of utilizing polypropylene as a binder for plywood manufacture

Abstract

In this study, plywood manufacture with use of polypropylene as a binder has been studied. The variables were polypropylene in three levels of 80, 120 and 160 g/m2 and maleic anhydride polypropylene coupling agent in two levels of 0 and 4 g/m2 . ureformaldehyde and wheat flour were used for control samples(120 and 40 g/m2 respectively). Physical and mechanical properties including MOR and MOE (parallel and perpendicular to grain of face layers), water absorption and thickness swelling after 2 and 24 hours of immersion in water were tested. The results showed that maleic anhydride polypropylene coupling agent has significant effect on MOR parallel to grain of face layers. With increase of maleic anhydride polypropylene coupling agent, MOR increased. Polypropylene has positive effect on thickness. With increase of maleic anhydride polypropylene coupling agent, water absorption after 24 hours improved. Although the results revealed improvement in board properties resulted from more polypropylene use but in all properties (except thickness swelling after 24 hours), control samples had better quality than plywood made from polypropylene.

Keywords

• plywood
• Polypropylene
• MAPP
• PHYSICAL AND MECHANICAL PROPERTIES