Influence of Adhesive Density on Thatch Grass Particleboard Characteristics

The response of resin concentration on some properties of thatch grass particleboard was obtained. In this study, the different concentrations of resin used were 10%, 15%, 20%, 25% and 30% for oven dry weight of thatch grass. The European Standard (EN standard) was used as a base for the tests carried out. It was observed that an increase in resin concentration resulted in an improvement in both mechanical and physical properties of the particleboard. These results were recorded for Modulus of Rupture (MOR), Internal Bond Strength (IB), Modulus of Elasticity (MOE), Thickness Swelling (TS) and Water Absorption (WA) in these ranges: 11.20 to 13.78N/mm2 , 0.25 to 0.48N/mm2 , 1185 to 1969N/mm2 , 8.02 to 13.60% and 27.84 to 57.98% respectively. This reveals that the particleboards as obtained are in conformity to the EN standard.