The Recycling of Sawdust Waste into Particleboard Using Starch- Based Modified Adhesive

Abstract

The challenges associated with the management of wastes from the cassava processing and timber industries necessitated an investigation into the possibility of implementing recycling approach to produced particle board from these wastes. Particleboards were produced from wood saw dust using various compositions of modified starch adhesives. The product obtained were evaluated for density, moisture content, hardness, flexural strength, water absorption and thickness swelling. The results obtained indicated that the density ranged from 753 to 798 kg/m3, moisture content ranged from 14.87 to 16.67 %, hardness ranged from 9.02 to 9.31 N/nm2, flexural strength ranged from 1.31 to 1.45 MPa, water absorption capacity at 24 h ranged from 1.06 to 9.31 %, thickness swelling ranged from 4.55 to 4.78%. The products were in conformity with IS 3087 (2005) and ANSI A 208.1 (1993) standards and could go for medium density particleboard.