Non-Wood Lignocellulosic Composites

Abstract

It would seem that with appropriate treatment almost any agricultural residue may be used as a suitable raw material for the wood-based panels like particle- and fiberboard production. The literature on wood-ligno-cellulose plant composite boards highlights steady interest for the design of new structures and technologies towards products for special applications with higher physical-mechanical properties at relatively low prices. Experimental studies have revealed particular aspects related to the structural composition of ligno-cellulose materials, such as the ratio between the different composing elements, their compatibility, and the types and characteristics of the used resins. Various technologies have been developed for designing and processing composite materials by pressing, extrusion, airflow forming, dry, half-dry, and wet processes, including thermal, chemical, thermo-chemical, thermo-chemo-mechanical treatments, etc. Researchers have undertaken to determine the manufacturing parameters and the physical-mechanical properties of the composite boards and to compare them with the standard PB, MDF, HB, SB made from single-raw material (wood). A great emphasis is placed on the processability of the ligno-cellulose composite boards by classical methods, by modified manufacturing processes, on the types of tools and processing equipment, the automation of the manufacturing technologies, the specific labor conditions, etc. The combinations of wood and plant fibers are successful, since there is obvious compatibility between the macro- and microscopic structures, their chemical composition, and the relatively low manufacturing costs and high performances, as compared to synthetic fiber-based composite materials.

Adhesive application on particleboard from natural fibers: A review

“…These resins are derived from non‐renewable petrochemical materials while carcinogenic formaldehyde is released during the particleboard production and application. Health hazards such as allergic, non‐allergic, and mucosal respiratory symptoms, as well as cancer, are associated with these conventional binders resulting in increasing global accumulation of hazard generated from particleboard manufactured using formaldehyde‐based adhesives 9 …”

“…This condition encourages many studies on the possibility of using natural fibers or agricultural by‐products as materials in particleboard manufacturing. It is also a source of replacing wood materials due to the high demand for wooden materials and a continued rise in agricultural residue in the agricultural areas that resulting in forest fires 9 . Physical and mechanical strength properties are among the various characterization carried out on particleboard.…”

“…These agricultural materials that can be used as raw material for the production of particleboard are often rich in lignin and cellulose 8 . Although, oil palm fiber and rice husk have been the most exploited lignocellulosic materials to produce particleboard, other agricultural wastes such as oil palm trunks, oil palm empty fruit bunch, coconut husk, hemp fiber, sunflower husk, sugar cane bagasse, coffee husk, date palm fronds, are also being researched and developed as a potential raw material in the board making industry 9,10 …”

Analysis of Selected Properties of Fibreboard Panels Manufactured from Wood and Leather Using the Near Infrared Spectroscopy

“…Most of these investigations were dealing with an up-or recycling of by-products to find possible supplements to the fibres and particles for wood based panel production [2,3]. Han et al [4] and Halvarsson et al [5,6] produced fibreboards from wheat and reed remains in combination with urea formaldehyde (UF) and urea melamine formaldehyde (UMF) adhesives.…”

“…Besides the biobased materials also the fossil-based materials, such as plastic waste [2], were examined in combination with wood particles and fibres, and its degradability was determined. A seminal way to upcycling by-products seems to be the usage of waste materials, such as chicken feathers and leather shavings, which occur in the meat industry [13,14].…”