Properties of hybrid particleboard produce from acacia and ludai / Nurul Nadjwa Zainuddin

The study evaluated the physical and mechanical properties of a hybrid
particleboard produced from admixture of Acacia and Ludai with different
particle ratio and different particle sizes. Currently, raw material supply for
particleboard manufacturing is decreasing and limited in resources. Various
studies regarding alternative raw material had been done. The objective of
this study is to determine the physical and mechanical properties of board
regarding the effect of particle ratio and particle sizes toward the
particleboards produce from Acacia and Ludai and to identify the potential of
Ludai and Acacia as alternative raw material in particleboard industry. The
hybrid boards were manufactured with two different percentage of ratio
which are 70:30 (70% Ludai and 30% Acacia) and 50:50 (50% Ludai and
50% Acacia). Particleboard from 100% Ludai and 100% Acacia also had been
produced in order to determine the potential of the species itself as raw
material in particleboard industry. All boards were manufactured with three
different particle sizes which are 0.5mm, 1.0mm and 2.0mm. The target
density of this hybrid particleboard is 600kg/m3 with applied 8% of Melamine
Urea Formaldehyde (MUF). The board quality was evaluated by determining
bending properties of the board including modulus of rupture (MOR),
modulus of Elasticity (MOE), internal bonding (IB) strength, thickness
swelling (TS), and water absorption (WA) based on MS 1036:2006. The
results show that the mechanical strength (MOE, MOR, IB) increase with
decreasing in admixture of Ludai species. The mechanical strength also
increases due to increasing in particle size. The highest value for MOE and
IB results was obtained from particleboard with ratio 50:50 which are
1737MPa and 3.38MPa respectively. Particleboard with 2.0mm particle sizes
has the highest value for MOE (1980 MPa) and IB (2.93 MPa). The objective
of identifying the potential of Ludai and Acacia particles as raw material
replacement in particleboard industry had been observed. Ludai is suitable for
raw material replacement with ratio of 50% Ludai and 50% Acacia as it is the
most optimum to produce comparable MOE, MOR, and IB strength. While
Acacia particles is most suitable for raw material replacement as it had been
used as commercial timber due to its strength.