Flax and Hemp fiber-reinforced particleboard

作者：Sam Brew Solace; Smith Gregory D^*

来源：Industrial Crops and Products, 2015, 77: 940-948.

DOI：10.1016/j.indcrop.2015.09.079

• Flax
• Hemp
• Reinforcement
• Wood
• Particleboard

The objective of this study was to reinforce particleboard products with natural bast fibers which have high tensile strength and stiffness-to-weight ratios. Three-layered particleboards were manufactured from Wood, Hurd and Shive particle furnish and reinforced in the upper and lower face layers with aligned Flax and Hemp fiber mats. Control particleboard samples were manufactured from 100% Wood, Hurd and Shive furnish for comparison purposes. Mechanical and physical strength properties were conducted according to ASTM D1037-6a and ANSI standards for medium density particleboard.
Compared with 100% Wood, Hurd and Shive particleboards the bending strength properties of the fiber-reinforced particleboards were significantly (p = 0.0158, p <0.0001, p = 0.0005) improved, an increase in MOR and MOE of 42 and 28% for Wood-Flax boards, 53 and 32% for Wood-Hemp boards, 60% and 46% for Hurd-Hemp and 27% MOE for Shive-Flax boards. The thickness swell and water absorption properties were also significantly reduced for the fiber-reinforced boards especially in the Wood-Flax particleboards by 45% and 70% respectively. A wide variability was observed in internal bond strength data within board types. The results revealed low interfacial bond strength within the Flax and Hemp fiber layers, as a result these regions were the major points of failure during testing. The mechanical strength properties of majority of the fiber-reinforced particleboards complied with the ANSI standards for M-2 grade particleboard. These results indicate that aligned Flax and Hemp fiber mats placed at points of maximum tensile and compressive stresses can be efficiently used to reinforce particleboard products; this also means this novel approach is viable.

• 出版日期2015-12-23