Performance of binderless board manufactured using camphor tree residue

Abstract

Residue of the branch wood of camphor tree (Cinnamomum camphora) was used to manufacture binder-free biodegradable biomass fiberboard (bio-board) by the wet method. To investigate the mechanical properties of the bio-board, bending rupture stress and tensile rupture stress tests were measured and the effect of heating temperature and applied pressure on the performance of the bio-board was evaluated. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were used to analyze the influencing factors on the microstructure and bond quality of the bio-boards. The overall density of the bio-boards exceeded 0.8 g/cm3 and the moisture content was below 10%, which conformed to the JIS A 5908 standard (2014) for the hardboard S20 type design specification. The bending rupture stress and tensile rupture stress continued to increase, and the dimensional stability continuously improved as the applied pressure and the heating temperature increased. However, when the heating temperature exceeded 170 °C, the increase in the rupture stress slowed down and the dimensional stability had been improved. Furthermore, increasing the heating temperature was more conducive for optimizing the bio-board’s performance than increasing the applied pressure.