Improving the mechanical and physical of wheat straw particleboard using polypropylene powder

Abstract

Abstract In this study, wheat straw-polypropylene particleboard was produced using a mixture of wheat straw and polypropylene with urea formaldehyde resin and its properties were investigated. The ratio of polypropylene to the wheat straw particles was selected as 10:90, 20:80 and 30:70 percent. Urea formaldehyde was used at three levels of 4, 6 and 8 percent based on oven dried weight of wheat straw particle. Mechanical and physical properties (modulus of rupture, modulus of elasticity, internal bonding, water absorption and thickness swelling after 2 and 24h soaking in water) of the produced boards were measured. The results showed that increasing polypropylene and urea formaldehyde resin resulted in increasing the bending strength, modulus of rupture and modulus of elasticity of the boards. The results also indicated that water absorption and thickness swelling after 2 and 24h soaking in water decreased with increased polypropylene and urea formaldehyde resin percent. The UF resin content can be reduced in the particleboard as a function of increasing the PP powder.

Keywords

• limitation of raw materials
• Wheat straw particle board
• WHEAT STRAW
• Polypropylene
• Urea formaldehyde resin