Production of Fire-Resistant Particle Boards from some Agricultural Residues

Abstract

The research aims producing fire-resistant particle boards using different types of highly combustible agricultural residues. The some mechanical propertiesparametersincluded modulus of rupture and modulus of elasticity while physical properties were water absorption, swelling thickness, mass loss, ignition, glowing time, width and length of the burnt area. Particleboards variables were adhesives (urea formaldehyde ratio of 10%, sodium silicates and paraffin wax ratio of 5%,hardener (ammonium chloride) and fire-retardant (a mixture of di-ammonium phosphate and boric acid is nontoxic ratio of 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 %. All above carried out under four press temperature (100,120,140,160 C°), four thicknesses of 14,16,18 and 20mm and four agricultural residues cotton stalks, corn stalks, rice straw and sawdust. The manufactured boards were tested according to TS-EN standards. The results recorded that the maximum modulus of elasticity and modulus of rupture of 4750 and 28.5 N/mm2 respectively were obtained using cotton-stalk particle boards, pressing temperature of 140 °C and particle board thickness of 14 mm. The maximum averages water absorption percentage after 2 and 24 h was 28 and 73% respectively and the maximum averages swelling percentage after 2 and 24 h was 22.3 and 33.7 % respectively, were obtained using rice-straw particle boards under pressing temperature of 100 °C and particle board thickness of 20 mm. The most fire-retarding properties were improved with the increase in fire-retarding-content up-to 15 %. Higher amounts resulted in decreasing of the fire-retarding properties.