Open Access

ARTICLE

New Renewable and Biodegradable Particleboards from Jatropha Press Cakes

by

1 University of Toulouse, INP, Laboratory of Agro-Industrial Chemistry, ENSIACET, 4 Allée Emile Monso, BP 44362, 31030 Toulouse Cedex 4, France
2 University of Toulouse,INRA, Laboratory of Agro-Industrial Chemistry, 31030 Toulouse Cedex 4, France
3 Department of Agroindustrial Technology, FATETA-IPB, Darmaga Campus, Bogor 16002, Indonesia

* Corresponding Author:

Journal of Renewable Materials 2014, 2(1), 52-65. https://doi.org/10.7569/JRM.2013.634131

Received 27 November 2013; Accepted 11 February 2014;

Abstract

The infl uence of thermo-pressing conditions on the mechanical properties of particleboards obtained from Jatropha press cakes was evaluated in this study. Conditions such as molding temperature and press cake oil content were included. All particleboards were cohesive, with proteins and fibers acting respectively as binder and reinforcing fillers. Generally, it was the molding temperature that most affected particleboard mechanical properties. The most resistant boards were obtained using 200°C molding temperature. Glass transition of proteins then occurred during molding, resulting in effective wetting of the fi bers. At this optimal molding temperature, the best compromise between fl exural properties (7.2 MPa fl exural strength at break and 2153 MPa elastic modulus), Charpy impact strength (0.85 kJ/m2 ) and Shore D surface hardness (71.6°), was a board obtained from press cake with low oil content (7.7%). Such a particleboard would be usable as interlayer sheets for pallets, for the manufacture of containers or furniture, or in the building trade.

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Keywords

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