Medium-density fiberboards from wood fibers and pruned palm leaves bonded with urea–formaldehyde and isocyanate resins

The increasing scarcity of raw materials for the production of wood-based composite panels has necessitated the exploration of alternative lignocellulosic sources. This study investigated and evaluated the feasibility of utilizing pruned palm leaves for manufacturing medium-density fiberboard (MDF) panels, employing two resin systems: urea–formaldehyde (UF, 10%) and isocyanate (IC, 5%). Two types of refined and non-refined palm leaves were used, either as the sole fiber source (100%) or as partial substitution of industrial wood fibers (at the rate of 10%). In total, five types of panels were produced. The results obtained revealed that refined palm leaves have strong potential to be incorporated at a 10% substitution level without significantly compromising panel performance. Conversely, panels containing non-refined palm leaves exhibited markedly inferior physical and mechanical properties. Based on the results, refined palm leaves at a 10% inclusion rate can be recommended for MDF panel production using both UF and IC resins.