Influence of straw´s amount on properties of particleboard

The straw from crops, as one of the raw materials for wood based composites, contributes to release the pressure caused by the shortage of wood resources. However, because of the wax layer on the surface of straw materials, problems appeared in manufacturing straw based composites with UF resin. The bonding strength of the board was too weak to meet the national standard. In this study, the straw based boards were produced by straw chips which were processed by grinder. During grinding, the wax layer was destroyed by mechanical forces. Free radicals content increased a lot through such process. The straw based board can be applied in place where the traditional wood based particleboard was widely used. The new development of straw based board has good physical and mechanical properties. When the amount of straw was less than 30%, the properties of the straw board can meet the national standard GB/T 4879.2-2003; when the amount of straw was less than 20%, it meets the national standard GB/T 4797.3-2003.