PHYSICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF PARTICLEBOARD¹ PANELS MADE FROM Eucalyptus grandis WITH ADDITION OF INDUSTRIAL WOOD RESIDUES

Abstract

In Brazil, the wood from planted forests constitutes the main material source for the production of particleboards. The utilization of forest residues for production of these panels was not implemented in industrial level yet. This work had the objective of evaluating the physical properties of three layers particleboard, industrially manufactured, using wood of Eucalyptus grandis from plantation and industrial wood residues in different ratios (adittion from 10% to 35% in volume). The material (Eucalyptus grandis wood and industrial residues – recycled pallets and sawdust) was supplied by Eucatex S. A. Ind. e Com. located in Botucatu – Sao Paulo State, Brazil, where the panels had been manufactured in Eucatex plant. Physical tests were carried out at the Process Laboratories of Eucatex and in the Materials Testing Laboratory, Rural Engineering Department of the College of Agronomic Sciences – Sao Paulo State University - UNESP. Results revealed that panels had very good physical performance, attending, in general, to all the technical specifications established by the product standards, even in the treatments with higher addition of residues. The final moisture content of the panel presented effect in the properties studied with general trend of reduction in water absorption and swelling in thickness when the moisture content increased from 9% for 12,5%.