High Mechanical Performance Boards Made from Fibers of Arundo donax without Added Adhesives

Abstract

Arundo donax is a cane species with high growing productivity, and it is becoming an important source of biomass. The main objective of this study was to obtain fibreboards with high mechanical performance from A. donax without any added adhesive. Boards made without adhesive are free from formaldehyde emissions and consume no fossil resources. The characteristics of the obtained boards depended on the original material, steam explosion pre-treatments, and forming conditions (pressure, temperature, and pressing time). Production parameters were optimized. The effect of forming pressure on the physical and mechanical properties density, elastic modulus (MOE), modulus of rupture (MOR), tensile strength perpendicular to the faces (IB), thickness swelling, and water absorption of the obtained boards was studied. The European Norms (EN) methodologies were used to test the board specifications. Density, MOE, and MOR were modelled by a double reciprocal function. TS and WA were modelled with a reciprocal function in X. The boards obtained met and sometimes exceeded the requirements of these standards for the most demanding structural use.

Optimization of the Production Factors of Boards Obtained from Arundo donax L. Fibers without Added Adhesives

“…The main production process is shown in Figure 8 and was explained in detail in a previous article [1].…”

“…The main production process is shown in Figure 8 and was explained in detail in a previous article [1]. The initial production phase consisted of a hydrolytic steam explosion treatment followed by the sequence: washing, drying, crushing, cold pressing, and conditioning of the moisture of the material in a climatic chamber.…”

“…Arundo donax L. (hereafter: AD) is a material that is widely available in warm areas throughout the world. According to recent studies, the characteristics of this material make it a good choice as feedstock and for obtaining products of relatively high added value [1]. As for the environmental benefits of AD, its carbon storage capacity has been assessed under different fertilization ratios [2].…”

“…The physical and mechanical characteristics of the AD particle board based on urea-formaldehyde resin have been assessed [15][16][17], whereas the results of other boards without the contribution of any adhesive have been obtained [1,18,19].…”

“…This has become an important incentive for the investigation of materials derived from renewable sources, such as boards obtained from lignocellulosic materials, or even more interesting, the production of boards without any kind of adhesive at all. Such fiberboards have already been demonstrated as being a valid option [1].…”