Evaluation of the Properties and Reaction-to-Fire Performance of Binderless Particleboards Made from Canary Island Palm Trunks

Abstract

Repurposing agricultural and forestry by-products not only is beneficial for the environment but also follows the principles of the circular economy. In southeastern Spain, the Canary Island palm tree (Phoenix canariensis W.) is widely used in urban landscapes. Plantations affected by the red weevil, a pest, generate an abundance of plant waste that must be crushed and transferred to authorized landfills. The aim of this study was to manufacture boards using particles from trunks of the Canary Island palm tree without adding any binders in order to obtain an ecological and fire-resistant product. In order to manufacture the boards, three particle sizes (<0.25, 0.25–1, and 1–2 mm), a temperature of 110 °C, a pressure of 2.6 MPa, and a pressing time of 7 min were used. The boards were pressed in a hot plate press for 7 min up to four times (7 min, 7 + 7 min, 7 + 7 + 7 min, and 7 + 7 + 7 + 7 min). The resulting boards showed good thermal performance, and the board´s reaction-to-fire performance was classified as Bd0 (an Fs value of 70.3 mm). This study also showed that boards with a particle size smaller than 0.25 mm that underwent four pressing cycles of 7 min each in the press can be categorized as grade P2 according to the European Standards (MOR of 20 N/mm2, MOE of 2589.8 N/mm2, and IB of 0.74 N/mm2). Therefore, these manufactured particleboards could be used as a flame-retardant material for the interior enclosures of buildings (vertical and horizontal) without the need for coatings.