Physical Properties of Commercial Particle-boards Made of Sugarcane Bagasse and Wood

The physical properties of commercial particle-boards made of sugar cane bagasse and wood were studied. Thickness swelling and water absorption tests were conducted in order to compare the materials and their types of absorption: total, lateral and superficial. Tests for comparison between particle-boards made of different materials showed that sugar cane bagasse particle-boards presented higher water absorption, but lower thickness swelling. For sugar cane bagasse particle-board, the highest value was found for lateral water absorption. For wood particle-board, the total absorption was highest after 2 hours of immersion, but it became equal to the superficial absorption after 24 hours.

Keywords:
lignocellulosic materials; particle-boards; physical properties.