Particleboard properties from 3 years old Petai Belalang / Muhamad Muaz Abdul Aziz

The growing demand for wood-based panels has led to continuous efforts to
find new resources as alternative raw materials without depending on the
decreasing supply of rubberwood. Petai belalang, or Leucaena
leucocephala, was chosen in the manufacture of particleboard with ureaformaldehyde
(UF) resin as a binder. The boards were produced at three
density levels of SOO, 600 and 700 kg m-3 with 12% of resin content. This
study evaluated the mechanical· and physical properties of the petai
belalang particleboard. The tests were conducted according to European
standards. The mechanical properties tested were modulus of rupture
(MOR), modulus of elasticity (MOE) in bending and internal bond (18).
Thickness swelling (TS) and water absorption (WA) were tested for physical
properties. Results indicated that the strength properties of the boards
improved with increased board density. Particle board with density of 700 kg
m met part of the strength requirement, which suggests a possible
application of this board in the production of furniture components.