@Article{jrm.2024.054786,
AUTHOR = {Lilik Astari, Benoit Belleville, Kenji Umemura, Alex Filkov, Barbara Ozarska, Robert H. Crawford},
TITLE = {Determination of Physical, Mechanical and Fire Retardancy Properties of Innovative Particleboard Made from Corn Stalk (<i>Zea mays</i> L.) Particles},
JOURNAL = {Journal of Renewable Materials},
VOLUME = {12},
YEAR = {2024},
NUMBER = {10},
PAGES = {1729--1756},
URL = {http://www.techscience.com/jrm/v12n10/58417},
ISSN = {2164-6341},
ABSTRACT = {The demand for particleboard is increasing along with economic and population growth. However, two major barriers to the manufacture of particleboard are a shortage of raw materials (woodchips) and the emission of formaldehyde from conventional adhesives. Agricultural by-products such as corn stalks contain an abundance of renewable lignocellulosic fiber. This study evaluates the effect of citric acid as a natural adhesive and fire retardant addition on the physical, mechanical, and fire retardancy properties of particleboards fabricated from corn stalks. A cost-effective and inorganic salt, calcium carbonate, was tested to enhance the fire retardancy. Ammonium dihydrogen phosphate was also considered as a comparative control. Particleboards with the addition of calcium carbonate was pretreated with sodium chloride. The particleboards were pressed for 10 min at 200°C. Japanese Industrial Standard JIS A 5908:2022 was used as the benchmark for the physical and mechanical tests. Fire retardancy was dynamically tested by simulating a Bushfire Attack Level of 19 kW/m<sup>2</sup>. The particleboard with 25 wt% citric acid had superior mechanical properties and complied with the JIS A 5908 standard for Type 13 base particleboard. Particleboard with the addition of calcium carbonate (5% and 10%) showed significantly delayed pyrolysis time.},
DOI = {10.32604/jrm.2024.054786}
}