Proceedings e report - Firenze University Press

INVESTIGATION ON THE UTILIZATION OF POMEGRANATE WOOD
FOR PARTICLEBOARD PRODUCTION
Homayoun Soleymani Ashtiani 1 *, Abolfazl Kargarfard 2
1 Department of Wood & paper science & Technology
Islamic Azad University of Karaj – Iran
2 Ministry of Jahad-e-Agriculture
Abstract
In this investigation, particleboard manufacturing has been offered to consider of lignocellulosic residues usage
from recision of pomegranate trees (Punica granatum) in particleboard production using pomegranate and poplar
(P.nigra) wood with 4 different combinations (1. 100% of pomegranate wood 2.75% of pomegranate wood and
25% of poplar wood 3. 50% of pomegranate wood and 50% of poplar wood 4.100% of poplar wood as the
control sample) and using 2 resin content levels UF (10 & 12 %) and 2 press time levels (4 & 5 min). According
to these factors, 16 combination samples were collected and 3 boards from each treatment, totally 48
experimental sample boards were made. The result of physical and mechanical properties were analyzed using
Randomized Complete Block Experiment Design (RCBD). The result of this investigation showed that Modulus
of Rupture (MOR) in boards has effectively reduced while increasing the press time. On the other hand, resin
content content and press time have a direct impression on Modulus Rupture (MOR) and Modulus of Elasticity
(MOE) in boards so that MOR and MOE decreased during 10% resin content and increasing the press time.
These results also indicated that MOR and MOE of the boards have been increased by adding poplar particles to
the wood combination for board production. Indeed, Internal Bonding (IB) of the boards has been modified by
105 resin content and increasing the press time. Anyway, all the Internal Bonding average values of boards have
been higher than the standard level. The results also showed that Thickness Swelling (TS) of boards has been
increased by adding poplar particles to the wood combination to board production.
1. Introduction
In recent years, because of industrialization of most of developing countries, demand for raw materials
and production inputs has grown up. Considering the fact that raw material especially in natural
resources sector is limited, one of the most important challenges facing the human communities in
recent decades has been supplying the wooden raw material needed by the expanding industries on
one side and protection of the limited forest resources on the other side. Therefore, in countries such as
Iran which in respect of wood and forestry resources are considered poor it is necessary that for
providing wooden raw material a special attention be paid to agricultural residues. This is because
particleboard industry is able to use and consume a vast spectrum of wooden and non-wooden
lignocellulosic residues. However, identifying and introducing new lignocellulosic materials to
particleboard manufacturing unit for production of particleboard and or other wooden combined
products need studies and research. Thus, the aim of this research has been studying the possibility of
using the wood resulted from pruning pomegranate trees and optimization of pomegranate orchards as
raw material for production of particleboard. Presenting the best combination of pomegranate wood
and one other wood species (which in this study has been poplar) for production of particleboard
having desirable physical and mechanical properties in industrial scale has been one of other aims of
this research.
According to the statistics published by the Ministry of Agricultural Jihad, in year 1384 (21 March
2005-20 March 2006) more than 60,000 hectares of the country’s lands were covered by pomegranate
orchards. These trees shall be pruned each year. The preliminary studies have showed that the
lignocellulosic waste resulted from pruning these trees amounts to about one ton per hectare which is
indicator of potentially 60,000 tons lignocellulosic materials per year. Using this lignocellulosic waste
(which are burnt every year after completion of pruning operations) as raw material of particleboard
enjoys high economic justification.
* E-mail: homayounwps@yahoo.com
Joseph Gril (edited by), Wood Science for Conservation of Cultural Heritage –Braga 2008: Proceedings of the International
Conference held by COST Action IE0601 (Braga - Portugal, 5-7 November 2008, ISBN 978-88-6453-157-1 (print)
ISBN 978-88-6453-165-6 (online) © 2010 Firenze University Press