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PEER-REVIEWED ARTICLE
Mat Compression Measurements During Low-Density Particleboard Manufacturing Piotr Boruszewski,* Piotr Borysiuk, Mariusz Mamiński , and Joanna Czechowska
This study regards the effect of technological aspects on mat compression during the manufacturing of low-density particleboards made of two low density species - i.e. poplar and pine. Using these materials, three-layer low-density particleboards (500 kg/m 3 ) were prepared. Three series were manufactured: (1) neat pine, (2) poplar-pine (face layer and core layer, respectively) and (3) neat poplar boards. Measurements of real-time variations in mat core temperature, pressure, and mat thickness allowed for the analysis of the mat compaction. Selected mechanical properties (modulus of rupture, modulus of elasticity, and internal bonding) of the manufactured particleboards were determined. Raw material of lower density used for particleboard manufacturing required either prolonged pressing time or more intense heat transfer into the mat core. The highest strength values were obtained for the poplar-pine particleboards.
Keywords: Particleboard; Low density; Poplar; Pine; Pressing process; Raw material Contact information: Faculty of Wood Technology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences - SGGW, Nowoursynowska Str. 159, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland; *Corresponding author: piotr_boruszewski@sggw.pl
INTRODUCTION The development of the furniture industry is connected with the implementation of innovative solutions in particleboard technology. There is a deficiency of wood results in the intensified research on alternative raw material resources (Papadopoulos et al . 2002; Abdul Khalil et al. 2010; Nicewicz et al . 2012; Gatani et al. 2013; Varanda et al. 2013). Waste wood, annual crops, and fast-growing species have recently become valuable raw materials for particleboard manufacturers (Strauss et al. 2004; West 2006; Carle and Holmgren 2009). To adopt alternative low-density materials for existing technology, the proper analysis and characterization of the variations in process parameters as well as the phenomena taking place in the mat are required. One of the most important parameters is mat compression ratio. Switching to non-classical raw materials allows maintenance of the growth and competitiveness of the wood-based panel industry. The use of annual crops and low- density fast-growing species in manufacturing of novel types of composites for the furniture industry has increased in the last decade. The increase comes from the market needs, and introduction of new materials to the market is most welcomed (Sellers et al. 1993; Wang and Sun 2002; Xu et al. 2004; Meinlschmidt et al. 2008). The main advantage of new types of panels over the old ones is a lowered density. It is known from the literature that the density of woody material affects the compression ratio of a mat, which subsequently determines the properties of the final product (Buschbeck et al. 1961a,b; Moslemi 1974; Grigoriu 1981; Clad 1982; Xu et al. 2004; Haelvoet and Medved 2009). The reduced panel density renders a decrease in mechanical strength.
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Boruszewski et al . (2016 ). “Particleboard density ,” B io R esources 11(3), 6909-6919.
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