Properties of MDF from fiber mixture of oil palm empty fruit bunches and rubberwood / Noorsalzatul Azura Zakaria

Medium density fiberboards were made from fiber mixture of oil palm empty fruit bunches and rubberwood. Analysis of variance was used to analyze the effect of species mixture on strength and dimensional stability of MDF samples. Seven mixtures, i.e. 0, 10, 30, 50, 70, 90 and 100% oil palm empty fruit bunches fibers (EFB) were used. The results indicated that modulus of rupture (MOR) increased with decrease in rubberwood EFB ratio while modulus of elasticity (MOE) decrease in the same treatment. The internal bond (IB) also decreased as the rubberwood/ EFB ratio was lowered. The properties of MDF admixtures containing EFB and rubberwood fibers could be enhanced by increasing the proportion of rubberwood fibers where a minimum of 50% rubberwood fibers gave acceptable strength properties.