Sesbania aegyptiaca as promising biomass for manufacturing of MDF

Sesbania fiber is a fast-growing wood species that has been investigated for medium-density fiberboard (MDF) production. To assess the possibility of applying the local industrial defibration parameters of sugar-cane bagasse (SCB) on defibration of sesbania, the chemical constituents of unfibrated and defibrated sesbania, as well as their thermal stability and scanning electron micrographs, were estimated. Different preparation variables of MDF, such as density, level of urea-formaldehyde (UF) resin (with 0.19% free-formaldehyde [HCHO]), and pressing time were studied, in comparison with that produced by using SCB fibers. The results showed that most of the tested sesbania-based MDFs have mechanical properties that fulfill the minimum requirements of MDF ANSI standard. Additionally, applying 12% UF and pressing for 240 sec provided sesbania-based MDF with optimum reduction in thickness swelling (reached ～7%). It is important to note that the sesbania-based MDF produced under these conditions is characterized by a lower TS property, than that obtained from SCB, or that reported in standards. The preliminary feasibility study revealed that using sesbania fibers will be an added economical potential for MDF production.     

The ambient aging of wood fiber and its effect on mechanical properties of MDF panels

Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to study ambient-aged wood fibers and their effects on the mechanical properties of medium-density fiberboard (MDF). It was found that MDF made with ambient-aged fibers had poorer mechanical properties than MDF made with fresh fibers; this difference resulted from the alterations of surface characteristics of wood fibers after ambient aging, which led to poor wettability of the urea–formaldehyde (UF) resin applied to the aged wood fibers. After 6 months of ambient aging, the concentration of carbonyl groups in the fibers increased by 144%, while the pH value of wood fiber decreased from 5.2 to 4.7. SEM showed that much more UF resin agglomerated on the surface of ambient-aged fibers and the breakage of MDF made with aged fiber frequently occurred at the resin-fiber interfaces, indicated the poorer wettability of UF resin to fibers due to the decrease in surface energy after aging.     

Development of high-performance UF-bonded reed and wheat straw medium-density fiberboard

Urea formaldehyde resin-bonded reed and wheat straw fiberboards were produced from the fibers made under different steam cooking conditions in refining processes at densities of 500 and 700kg/m³. The effect of steam cooking conditions on the board properties was examined. The steam pressure and cooking time for reed and wheat straws were 0.4MPa/10min and 0.4MPa/5min, respectively, and 0.6MPa/3min and 0.6MPa/10min for both straws. The effect of steam cooking treatment before the fiber refining process on the wettability and weight losses of the straws was also investigated. The results indicated that the mechanical properties and linear expansion of the straw medium-density fiberboard (MDF) were improved with increasing steam cooking pressure and time during the refining process, whereas the thickness swelling (TS) did not vary much. The wettability of the straws was improved by cooking treatment. The steam cooking conditions had little effect on the wettability of the straw surfaces. For reed and wheat straws, the weight losses increased with increasing steam pressure and cooking time. In addition, it was found that the properties of MDF were significantly higher than those of particleboard, especially the internal bond (IB), where the IB values of MDF were more than 10 times higher than those of particleboard. All the properties of the straw MDF, except the TS of wheat board, can meet the requirement of JIS fiberboard standard. The high performances of MDF could be due to the improved wettability and the removal of extractives during the refining process.     

热磨条件对麦秸中密度纤维板性能的影响

在不同的热磨条件下(蒸汽压力为0.4、0.6、0.8、1.0MPa,磨盘转数为2 500r/min和3 000r/min),将麦秸原料分离成纤维,并试制了相应的麦秸中密度纤维板,对比分析了不同的热磨条件对麦秸中密度纤维板的内结合强度、弯曲性能、吸水性能、表面硬度和边部握螺钉力的影响。结果表明,不同的热磨条件下分离得到的麦秸纤维形态存在差异,纤维的强度和形态对麦秸中密度纤维板的物理力学性能影响较大。当蒸汽压力为0.8MPa,磨盘转数为3 000r/min,麦秸中密度纤维板的各项性能得刮改善。     

预热处理对麦秆纤维板性能的影响

研究了麦秆在不同预热处理条件下，其纤维化学性质以及制得的中密度纤维板的性能，同时结合施胶量对不同预热处理麦秆纤维板性能的影响，探讨了在麦秆纤维/脲醛树脂胶中密度纤维板生产中施胶量对板性能影响的重要性。结果表明，采用预热温度为160℃左右、预热时间5～7min的处理条件获得的麦秆纤维在16%左右的施胶量时，可获得满足GB/T 11718-1999标准的麦秆纤维/脲醛树脂胶中密度纤维板。     

Effects of laccase incubated from white rot fungi on the mechanical properties of fiberboard

White rot fungi were optimized to cultivate highly active laccase. The characteristics of laccase incubated by continuous culture were compared with those of direct culture. The enzyme activity of laccase incubated by continuous culture technology reached a higher value on the fifth day of the growth. The optimization incubation time of high activity laccase was the eleventh day. A large amount of highly active laccase can be obtained in a relatively short time by continuous culture to replace traditional laccase. After laccase treatment, the lignin composition of wood fibers were oxidation-catalyzed by laccase. The number of chemical-bonding points between the wood fibers was increased. The wood fibers treated by laccase were fabricated into boards and their mechanical properties improved with the laccase-incubation times.Compared with the fiberboards made from fibers that were pre-treated by laccase of incubation 5 days, the static bending strength of those that were pre-treated by laccase of incubation 11 days was increased by 18.95%, the elastic modulus was increased by 35.49%, and the internal bond strength was increased by 44.11%.     

稻草中密度纤维板用改性脲醛树脂的研究

对比三聚氰胺、二甲基硅油、硅树脂和偶联剂KH-550四种改性剂改性的脲醛(UF)树脂性能的差别及其对稻草中密度纤维板性能的影响,并进行经济评价,最终确定适用于稻草纤维板的改性UF树脂的工艺条件,同时借助于红外光谱(FT-IR)和差热扫描分析(DSC)研究最佳改性UF树脂的结构和固化特性.结果表明,三聚氰胺改性脲醛(MUF)树脂不论是对树脂性能、板性能改善还是从成本分析方面均为稻草纤维板最佳的胶黏剂,FT-IR显示出与未加三聚氰胺相比,加入三聚氰胺后树脂的羟甲基含量降低了10 %,DSC分析则表明其峰值温度有较大幅度的提高,但放出的热量较少.加入三聚氰胺改性的UF树脂其表面张力变小.     

Effect of thermo-mechanical refining on properties of MDF made from black spruce bark

The effects of thermo-mechanical refining conditions on the properties of medium density fiberboard (MDF) made from black spruce (Picea mariana) bark were evaluated. The bark chips were refined in the MDF pilot plant of Forintek Canada Corporation under nine different refining conditions in which preheating retention time was adjusted from 3 to 5 to 7 min and steam pressure was set at either 0.6, 0.9 or 1.2 MPa. The resulting bark fibers were blended with 12% UF resin (based on oven-dry fiber weight) using a mechanical blender. The resinated fibers were manually formed into fiber mats and hot-pressed into MDF panels using consistent parameters. Two panels for each refining condition were produced, resulting in a total of 18 panels. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to analyze the significance of factors. Regression coefficients and 3D contour plots were used to quantify the relationship between panel properties and the two test factors. The results from this study indicated that the preheating retention time was a significant factor for both modulus of rupture (MOR) and modulus of elasticity (MOE), the steam pressure was a significant factor for internal bond strength (IB), MOR and MOE, whereas both factors were insignificant for thickness swelling, water absorption and linear expansion. The properties of MDF panels were quadratic functions of retention time and steam pressure. Compared to the ANSI standard for 120-grade MDF, most panels with a nominal density of 950 kg/m³ had very high IB (>1 MPa) and acceptable MOR, MOE and dimension stabilities. These results suggest that black spruce bark residues can be considered as a potentially suitable raw material for manufacturing MDF products.     

麦秸无胶碎料板制备工艺研究

以麦秸碎料为主要原料,采用漆酶水浴与干法两种不同处理方法压制麦秸无胶碎料板,研究热压温度、热压压力和热压时间对板材物理力学性能的影响。试验结果表明:影响麦秸无胶碎料板物理力学性能的主要因素是热压温度;水浴处理方法压制碎料板的物理力学性能优于干法压制的碎料板;漆酶水浴处理方法较优的热压工艺参数为漆酶用量43.6U/g,含水率10%,热压温度170℃,热压压力3~4MPa,热压时间20~25min。     

Characterization of urea–formaldehyde resin penetration into medium density fiberboard fibers

The amount of UF resin penetration into fibers, used for the production of medium density fiberboard (MDF), is unknown. To evaluate the relationship between resin viscosity and resin penetration depth, an experimental procedure involving confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and a Toluidine Blue O staining system was performed. The results indicate that CLSM in combination with a Toluidine Blue O staining system is a good way to characterize UF resin penetration into wood fibers. The main penetration direction is toward the fiber lumen. For wet fibers, whose moisture content is about 88%, the effect of resin viscosity with a range of 80 cps – 340 cps on penetration is very similar, with all adhesives reaching or almost reaching the fiber lumen after 60 min at room temperature. For MDF industrial samples, the highest depth of penetration of the adhesive was attained in the second dryer stage. After the second dryer stage, the resin penetration into the fiber did not increase.     

Utilization of pine (Pinus pinea L.) cone in manufacture of wood based composite

Physical and mechanical properties of medium density fiberboards (MDF) made from various mixtures of wood fibers and stone pine (Pinus pinea L.) cones were evaluated using European standards. MDF panels were manufactured using standardized procedures that simulated industrial production at the laboratory. Six panel types were made from mixtures of wood fiber/cone flour, 100/0, 90/10, 80/20, 70/30, 60/40, and 50/50 percents, respectively. Addition of the cone flour into the MDF significantly reduced formaldehyde emission from the panel. In addition, the addition of 10% cone flour also improved water resistance of the MDF panels made using urea–formaldehyde (UF) resin. However, further addition of the cone flour into the panel negatively influenced their water resistance. Flexural properties and internal bond strength decreased with the increase of cone flour content in the panel. The UF resin is the main source of formaldehyde emission from the UF-bonded wood-based panels. Depending on addition of the cone flour in the panels, the formaldehyde emission values ranged from 2.6% to 55.3% lower than the panels made from 100% wood fiber. Based on the findings obtained from this study, pine cone can be used as a renewable biological formaldehyde catcher as an alternative to the traditional formaldehyde catchers for E1 Class MDF manufacture.     

Manufacture of oriented board using mild steam treatment of plant fiber bundles

This study investigated the effects of mild steam treatment (0.1 MPa for 2 h) of natural bio-based fibers and orientation (0° and 90°) of those fibers in various fiberboards. Ramie bast, pineapple leaf, and sansevieria fiber bundles were used as materials. The composite fiberboards were prepared using phenol-formaldehyde (PF) resin. To investigate the effect of mild steam treatment on wettability, contact angles of PF resin to the fiber were measured. The mechanical properties of the boards were examined as well as their dimensional stability. The contact angle data showed that mild steam treatment was effective in improving the wettability of fibers. Unioriented steam-treated boards showed better performance of internal bond (IB), moduli of rupture (MOR) and elasticity (MOE), thickness swelling (TS), and water absorption (WA) than other boards. Unioriented steam-treated sansevieria board with longitudinal fiber direction showed higher average values of MOR (403 MPa), MOE (39.2 GPa), and IB (1.33 MPa) and lower values of TS (5.15%) and WA (8.68%) than other boards. The differences in the mechanical properties and dimensional stability of boards were found mainly due to the differences in the ratios of fiber fraction of the boards to the density of the fiber bundles.     

Medium-density fiberboard performance as affected by wood fiber acidity, bulk density, and size distribution

The properties of medium-density fiberboard (MDF) panels as affected by wood fiber characteristics were investigated. Wood chips from three softwood and one hardwood species were refined under the same refining conditions to make four different types of fibers. The resulting fibers were characterized by fiber size distribution, bulk density, pH value, and buffering capacity. Using the same resin system and hot-pressing parameters, MDF panels were produced and evaluated for internal bonding (IB), modulus of rupture (MOR), modulus of elasticity (MOE), thickness swelling, and linear expansion. The pH values and alkaline buffering capacities of raw materials were reduced considerably after refining. IB was strongly related to the pH value of fibers. The mechanical properties increased with alkaline buffering capacity. IB, MOR, and MOE increased with the bulk density of fibers. Increased proportions of coarse fibers had negative effects on the panel mechanical properties.     

Strength,decay and termite resistance of oriented kenaf fiberboards

The development of oriented fiberboards made from kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.) and their suitability as a construction material has been investigated. Three different types of boards consisting of five layers with individual orientations were prepared using a combination of low molecular weight and high molecular weight phenol-formaldehyde (PF) resin for impregnation and adhesion purposes. Additional boards with the same structure were prepared using high molecular weight PF resin only. The mechanical properties of the boards have been examined as well as their resistance against fungal decay and termite attack. All kenaf fiberboards showed elevated mechanical properties compared with medium-density fiberboard made from wood fibers, and showed increased decay and termite resistance. Differences in the decay and termite resistance between the board types were caused by the presence of the low molecular weight PF resin for the impregnation of the fibers. No significant difference was found for the mechanical properties. The effect of the PF resin for impregnation was much clearer in fungal decay resistance than for termite resistance; however, fiber orientation had no effect on both decay and termite resistance of the specimens.     

制板因素对FRW阻燃中密度纤维板性能的影响

制板因素对阻燃中密度纤维板(MDF)各项性能的影响至关重要.根据前期试验,选取阻燃剂施加量和热压温度两个主要的制板影响因素,分别探讨了该因素对FRW阻燃中密度纤维板物理力学性能和阻燃性能的影响.研究结果表明:阻燃剂施加量对FRW阻燃中密度纤维板的物理力学性能影响较小,并且所有物理力学性能指标均达到并超过了中密度纤维板国家标准GB/T11718-1999的要求;而阻燃剂施加量对FRW阻燃中密度纤维板的阻燃性能影响较大,氧指数与阻燃剂施加量之间具有显著的相关性.热压温度除对FRW阻燃中密度纤维板的几个指标略有影响外,对其他的物理力学性能指标和氧指数几乎无影响.     

生物酶预处理对秸秆中密度纤维板性能的影响

针对稻草和麦秸原料的特点,分别用木聚糖酶、漆酶／碳源系统(LCS)和脂肪酶对原料进行生物酶预处理用机械磨浆方法制备纤维,以木质纤维板用脲醛树脂作胶黏剂,压制秸秆中密度板,并探讨酶处理对秸秆纤维板性能的影响。结果表明:各种生物酶预处理对稻草和麦秸纤维板的性能都有一定的改善,同软化处理相比,经三种生物酶处理后的长纤维的比例明显增加,而细小纤维的含量则明显降低,IB均有不同程度的改进,其中木聚糖酶对此两项指标的改进效果更好。经木聚糖酶预处理后压制的密度达到0．8 g／cm3以上的纤维板的性能如下:麦草纤维板的IB为0．75 MPa,MOE为3 960 MPa,MOR为37．60 MPa,TS为21．29％。除TS外,均优于GB／T11718-1999标准要求。而稻草纤维板的IB为0．73 MPa,MOE为2 618 MPa,MOR为21．35 MPa,TS为21．19％,其中MOR与TS均离标准要求还有一定的差距。     

Development of boards made from oil palm frond II: properties of binderless boards from steam-exploded fibers of oil palm frond

Binderless boards were prepared from steam-exploded fiber of oil palm(Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) frond at six levels of explosion conditions. Their properties were investigated and evaluated. The mechanical properties (i.e., modulus of rupture, modulus of elasticity, and internal bonding strength) of the boards increased linearly with increasing board density as the usual hardboard. The boards made from fibers treated under a steam explosion condition of 25 kgf/cm² (steam pressure) and 5 min (digestion period) exhibited the maximum strength. These boards at a density of 1.2 g/cm³ met the requirement of S-20 grade of JIS A 5905 — 1994 (fiberboard). Thickness swelling of the boards ranged from 6% to 14% under the JIS A 5908 — 1994 (particleboard) test condition and showed no significant changes with increasing board density. The main bonding strength of the board is believed to be due to a ligninfurfural linkage. Considering the chemical components of oil palm frond, which is rich in hemicellulose, there seems to be a good possibility for producing binderless boards using steam-exploded fibers of oil palm frond.This study was presented in part at the 2nd International Wood Science Seminar, Serpong, Indonesia, November 1998     

稻草原料酸碱性及稻草中密度纤维板的性能

测试分析了稻草原料的ｐＨ值和缓冲容量，分别使用脲醛树脂胶和异氰酸酯胶在特定工艺条件下压制了稻草中密度纤维板，并测试了板材性能。结果表明：１）稻草秸秆原料呈弱碱性，缓冲容量远高于普通木材；经热磨处理获得的稻草纤维呈弱酸性，其缓冲容量虽较稻草秸秆有一定幅度的下降，但仍高于普通木材；２）脲醛树脂或异氰酸酯稻草中密度纤维板的性能都明显优于相应的碎料板；在密度０．８０ｇ／ｃｍ３和施胶量１７％的条件下，脲醛树脂稻草中密度纤维板性能达到国标ＧＢ／Ｔ１７６５７－１９９９一等品的要求，在密度０．８０ｇ／ｃｍ３和施胶量６％的条件下，异氰酸酯稻草中密度纤维板性能达到国标ＧＭ／Ｔ１７６５７－１９９９优等品要求。     

Influence of Raw Material and Mat-forming on Physical-mechanical Properties of Panels

China is one of the major production countries forwood-based panel products, and its production wasranked in the second place in the world in 2003. Onthe other hand, however, China is also a country withshortage of forest resources. As the main raw material,wood supply is becoming a serious problem with thefast growing of panel production. Fortunately, thereare plenty of agricultural residues in China, and thisgives the possibility to use agri-based fibers instead ofwood. Many wood-based pane…     

Bond durability of kenaf core binderless boards I: two-cycle accelerated aging boil test

A two-cycle accelerated aging boil test was conducted on kenaf core binderless boards to estimate their bond durability. This is one of the methods to estimate the bond quality of kenaf core binderless boards, as stipulated by Notification 1539 of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport, October 15, 2001, for the Building Standard Law of Japan. Generally, retention ratios of modulus of rupture (MOR), modulus of elasticity (MOE), and internal bond (IB) strength after the boil test increased with increased pressing temperature. In particular, the MOR retention ratio of boards with a pressing temperature of 200°C (average 106.4%) was higher than that of a commercial medium-density fiberboard (MDF) (melamine-urea-formaldehyde resin) (average 72.7%), and the value sometimes exceeded 100%. The durability of kenaf core binderless boards with a pressing temperature of 200°C compared favorably with that of the commercial MDF (melamine-urea-formaldehyde resin), having almost the same retained strength values after the boil test. Part of this article was presented at the International Symposium on Wood Science and Technology, IAWPS2005, November 27–30, 2005, Yokohama, Japan