Performance evaluation of wood-cement panels manufactured with two forest species in combination with rice husk

ABSTRACT

The present paper aimed to evaluate the performance of panels composed by cement and different proportions of two combined wooden species with rice husk. Experimental panels were produced where the proportions of wood particles used were 0-25-50-75 and 100%, while the proportion of rice husk was 100-75-50-25 and 0%, respectively. The wood species in the study were Eucalyptus grandis W. Hill ex Maiden and Pinus elliottii Engelm. To determine the quality of the panels, the physical properties (density, water absorption and thickness swelling at 2 and 24 hours) and the mechanical resistance (static bending and internal bond) were evaluated according to ASTM D-1037 (1999). The results obtained were discussed using the literature, including the recommendations of the Bison (1978) process for wood-cement commercial panels. The panels produced with pine particles presented larger water absorption and thickness swelling comparing to the panels manufactured with eucalypt particles. The addition of rice husk, however, improved the physical properties of the manufactured panels with particles of both species. Increasing the amount of rice husks, the panels showed less absorption of water and thickness swelling. The mechanical properties of the panels were affected positively with the addition of wood particles. The pine inclusion presented better results for the modulus of elasticity and the internal bond, while eucalypt inclusion presented better results in the modulus of rupture. The addition of rice husks represented loss of mechanical resistance for all the treatments in all the evaluated properties.

Keywords:
Wood cement board; Wood particles; Composite