The Effects of Iron Filling On Some Mechanical and Physical Properties of a Sawdust Particleboard

Abstract

This research work was aimed at producing particleboard from sawdust (matrix) and iron filling (particulate) under the same conditions as ordinary particleboard produced from sawdust alone and their properties compared. Sawdust –iron fillings particleboards were produced using a sawdust of particle size 1.18mm and iron fillings of size 300μm, 20g binder (urea formaldehyde) concentration, hot pressing temperature of 160°C, applied pressure of 10 tons equivalent to 12.5Mpa, hot pressing time of 12 minutes throughout the production of the particleboards. The weight of sawdust was kept constant (50g) while the weight of iron filling was varied (i.e from 10, 20, 30, 40
and 50g). A controlled sample of only sawdust particleboard was produced and tested under the same condition as those of the sawdust- iron filling particleboard. The mechanical properties tested showed that the particleboard from 40g iron filling has the highest mechanical properties (MOR, MOE and UTS of 255.20Mpa, 432.43Mpa and 22Mpa). Particleboard produced from only sawdust alone was found to have the least mechanical properties that is MOR, MOE and UTS of 140.63Mpa, 46.19Mpa and 7Mpa respectively. The water absorption and thickness swell test results showed that the particleboard of 40g iron fillings has the highest water resistance capacity and least thickness swell of 33.69% and 5.87% respectively.