Supplementary fibre supplies for the manufacture of MDF and particleboard. Part VII. Manufacture of particleboard using hardwood residues from mushroom production
Experimental work was carried out for the manufacture of UF resin bonded particleboards with hardwood residues generated from the mushroom production. The panels were made with different mixing ratios of the residues and virgin wood particles using different UF resin contents. The effect of different mixing ratio on the properties of the particleboards was investigated.
The results show that particleboard can be made with the hardwood residues with adequate properties. In general, with UF resin content of 12%, panel IB reduced and WA increased when reducing the weight ratio of the virgin wood particles. No obvious changes in TS, MOR and MOE were observed when reducing the weight ratio of the virgin wood. With 100% hardwood residues, panel IB, MOR and MOE reduced and TS and WA increased when UF resin content reduced from 12% to 6%. The quantity of mold growth on different types of panel was similar, but less mold species were involved in the panels made of hardwood residues after the mushroom production. In addition, both pH and acid buffer capacity were measured for different type of raw materials and the result shows that both pH and acid buffer capacity were lower in hardwood residues than in virgin wood particles.