Properties of wood cement bonded particleboard from 8 years old of petai belalang (Leucaena leucocephala) / Nor Iszuani Ishak and Nor Azima Shuhada Abdul Razak

Cement bonded particle board (CBP) from Leuceana leucocephala trees was examined and manufactured for their suitability as a construction material under laboratory conditions. For this study, leuceana leucocephala at the age eight years old were used to produce at 1:7.5, 1:2.0, 1:2.25 and 1:2.5 of wood cement ratio have been produced and their mechanical and physical properties were evaluated and the Malaysian Standard is
used as standard requirement. The treatment on the particles during mixing using 0%, 2%, 4% of sodium silicate as an catalyst. The earlier results show that 1:2.5 wood cement ratio are potential to pass the minimum standard requirement for modulus of rupture (MOR), modulus of elastic (MOE), internal bonding (IB), thickness swelling (TS) and water absorption meet and pass the requirement of the Malaysia Standard (MS 544:2(01).