Development and material properties of new hybrid medium density fibreboard from empty fruit bunch and rubberwood

Published Date
Materials & Design
October 2010, Vol.31(9):4229–4236, doi:10.1016/j.matdes.2010.04.014

• Author 

• H.P.S. Abdul Khalil ^a,,,
• M.Y. Nur Firdaus ^a
• M. Jawaid ^a
• M. Anis ^b
• R. Ridzuan ^b
• A.R. Mohamed ^c

• aSchool of Industrial Technology, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Penang, Malaysia
• bMalaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB), Biomass Technology Centre, Engineering & Processing Division, Jalan Sekolah, 43000 Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia
• cSchool of Arts, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Penang, Malaysia

Received 19 January 2010. Accepted 7 April 2010. Available online 11 April 2010. 

Abstract

In this research, new hybrid medium density fibreboard (MDF) was produced by using rubberwood (RW) and empty fruit bunch (EFB) based on oven-dried weight. There are two different ratios of hybrid MDF from rubberwood and EFB were produced which are EFB:RW, 20:80 and EFB:RW, 50:50 at 65% and 93% relative humidity (RH). The effect of storage time and relative humidity on the mechanical and physical properties of new hybrid MDF was studied. It was found that at 93% relative humidity, new hybrid MDF exhibited a highest effect on the mechanical and physical properties of panel after 10 weeks storage time. It observed that, hybrid MDF with ratio of EFB:RW, 20:80 exhibited the highest mechanical (flexure test and internal bonding) and physical properties [moisture content (MC), thickness swelling (TS), water absorption (WA)] as compared to hybrid MDF produced from EFB:RW, 50:50. Thus, the result showed that addition of higher amount of EFB fibres in hybrid MDF will decreased the composites properties. The property of composites decreases with increase of relative humidity and storage time. The result showed that, at 65% humidity new hybrid MDF exhibited lower effect on mechanical and physical properties of the panel.

Keywords

B. Hybrid fibreboard

A. Empty fruit bunch

A. Rubberwood

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• ⁎ 
  Corresponding author. Present address: Division of Bioresource Technology, School of Industrial Technology, University Science Malaysia, 11800 Penang, Malaysia. Tel.: +60 4 6532200; fax: +60 4 657367.

Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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