The objective of this study was to investigate the physical properties, including density, moisture content, thickness swelling, and water absorption, in addition to the mechanical properties such as modulus of rupture, modulus of elasticity, and internal bond strength of experimental panels that were made from rubberwood particles using oil palm starch modified with epichlorohydrin as a binder. The samples were also examined using X-ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and differential scanning calorimetry. The panel properties were compared with the properties of panels manufactured using native oil palm starch. The properties of starch and starch adhesives were also investigated. The panels were produced based on 0.60 g/cm 3 and 0.80 g/cm 3 target densities and two press times of 15 and 20 min. The results showed that the 0.80 g/cm 3 panels manufactured using modified oil palm starch and with 15 min of press time had better properties than did the others. However, a lower thickness swelling value was found for panels with density 0.60 g/cm 3 and with 15 min of press time. Based on the results in this study, it can be concluded that the use of oil palm starch modified with epichlorohydrin as a binder has the potential to be used as a green adhesive in commercial applications.

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Impending health challenges in the formulations of particleboards from cellulosic-based waste particles such as wood chips, sawdust, and veneer boards are of great concern. These wastes are majorly bonded together with synthetic resin or binder in the presence of heat and pressure to produce particleboards of various specifications and sizes depending on the end-use. The qualities of the particleboards depend on the modification of the particle geometry, resin levels, board density, and manufacturing processes. The addition of special additives to enhance the qualitative performance of particleboards such as dimensional stability, fire retardancy enhancement, and moisture resistance is included in the manufacturing process. The milestone in the use of wood particles for particleboard manufacture is the large reduction in the environmental hazard that these abundant wastes cause. Furthermore, this review reports recent research efforts in the use of green adhesives to reduce the health threat related to utilizing formaldehyde-based particleboard. The use of adhesives produced from natural sources has contributed toward the reduction in the impending health challenges and the cost of building construction by using such a particleboard.