USE OF Bambusa tuldoides AND Eucalyptus grandis FOR MANUFACTURING PARTICLEBOARDS

ABSTRACT

The bamboo panels particleboards can be advantageous when produced with a mixture of some kinds of wood. However, there are few studies using Bambusa tuldoides for the production of homogeneous particleboards or in combination with wood particles. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the physical-mechanical quality of particleboard made of different percentages of Bambusa tuldoides and Eucalyptus grandis. To do so, 36 panels were produced composed of a mixture of 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100% of dry matter. The tests realized were moisture, mass density, swelling thickness and water absorption. The mechanical tests were bending, internal bond and screw withdrawal (ASTM 1037, 1999). The results submitted to the correlation test and analyzed by regression. The panels did not get the minimum values of the standards (ANSI A 208.1, 1987) for mechanical tests. It is concluded that the homogeneous bamboo panels obtained superior performance in physical tests than the eucalyptus panels, which are usually used in the industrial sector. However, the insertion of bamboo particles impaired the performance of the panels in the mechanical tests.

Keywords:
bamboo; urea formaldehyde; physical-mechanical tests; ASTM 1037