POTENTIAL USE OF PLANTED FAST-GROWING SPECIES FOR PRODUCTION OF PARTICLEBOARD

Abstract

TRIANOSKI R, IWAKIRI S & DE MATOS JLM. 2011. Potential use of planted fast-growing species for
production of particleboard. The present study evaluated the potential of using planted fast-growing species
in Brazil for the manufacturing of particleboard. The species used in the experiment were Acrocarpus
fraxinifolius, Melia azedarach, Grevillea robusta, Schizolobium parahyba and Toona ciliata. They were collected
from an 18-year-old experimental forestry plantation located in Corupá, Santa Catarina, Brazil. Pinus taeda
was used as reference species. Particleboard with final thickness 15 mm and nominal density 0.80 g cm^-3
were produced using urea-formaldehyde resin under pressing temperature of 160 °C, specific pressure
40 kgf cm^-2 and press time 8 min. The board was evaluated for physical and mechanical properties based on the
European Standards (EN) for particleboard. When compared with panels of P. taeda and with requirements of
EN, the final results showed satisfactory physical and mechanical properties in all treatments, except for the
particleboard made from G. robusta. Thus, this study demonstrated that species A. fraxinifolius, M. azedarach,
S. parahyba and T. ciliata were potentially useful for the production of particleboard.