Effect of furnish type and high-density raw material from mill residues on properties of particleboard panels

The purposes of this study were to examine the use of furniture mill residues containing high-density raw materials in particleboard production and to evaluate the effect of mixing several types of furnish on board performance. Wood wastes collected from the furniture industry in Japan containing matoa (Pometia pinnata), Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), and sugi (Cryptomeria japonica) with different particle shapes were prepared as raw materials for use in the manufacture of experimental particleboards. Seven board types and three mixed boards were manufactured with three replications. Methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) resin was applied at 6 % content in mat preparation. The pressing conditions were temperature of 180 °C, initial pressure of 3 MPa, and pressing time of 5 min. The target density was 0.72 g/cm³. This study showed that matoa particleboard had properties suitable for use in interior applications, although its properties were considered inferior compared with other particleboards. Improvement of matoa particleboard could be achieved by mixing with higher quality wood particles such as those from sugi or Douglas-fir. The furnish type used in this study affected board performance. All residues from furniture mills have the potential to be used for particleboard production, even when they contain different furnish types and wood species.