Abstract
Abstract Mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla King) is one of the most valuable wood species found in the American Continent. This study is an evaluation of the production of particleboards using wood residues from the branches and trunk of a mahogany tree. It was designed to test the feasibility of production and the mechanical and physical characteristics of the finished particleboards, as well as to compare the results with similar studies and the requirements of normative documents. The particles were generated from the trunk and branches of a mahogany tree separately and mixed in different proportions to test their influence on the final product. They were bonded using 12% polyurethane resin from renewable resources and pressed under 90º C and 3.5 MPa for 10 minutes. The specimens were prepared and tested according to the guidelines established by the NBR 14810 regarding the static bending, internal bond, stiffness and thickness swelling (24h) tests. The results indicated that there is no significant correlation between the trunk-branches proportion and the Modulus of Elasticity/Rupture values. The production of the particleboards using the residues is feasible and the results of most of the tests fitted the normative requirements, which means that with the refinement of the production process it is possible to have a good product that fully complies with the technical standards.
Highlights
Mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla King) is one of the most valuable wood species found in the American Continent and in many sawmills
High market prices and lack of surveillance contributed to developing a scenario of overexploitation that depleted many mahogany stocks (BLUNDELL; GULLISON, 2003; VERÍSSIMO et al, 1995), and the outcome was its listing on CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) Appendix II in November 2002 (BLUNDELL, 2004)
According to the National Policy on Solid Residues (BRASIL, 2010), only 30% of a tree is properly transformed into sawn wood, which means that 70% of the material ends up as residue
Summary
Mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla King) is one of the most valuable wood species found in the American Continent and in many sawmills. It occurs naturally over an area that comprises Central America, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Brazilian States of Acre, Amazonas, Rondônia, Mato Grosso and Pará with an average density of less than one specimen per hectare (GROGAN et al, 2008; LAMB, 1966), being one of the finest materials in furniture market due to its aesthetic and mechanical characteristics (RIZZINI, 1990). High market prices and lack of surveillance contributed to developing a scenario of overexploitation that depleted many mahogany stocks (BLUNDELL; GULLISON, 2003; VERÍSSIMO et al, 1995), and the outcome was its listing on CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) Appendix II in November 2002 (BLUNDELL, 2004). Even when all measurements to comply with extraction laws are taken, Brazilian wood sector still faces the problem of generating residues on large scales. As shown by Gerwing, Johns and Vidal (1996) and Sasaki et al (2016), in the north region of Brazil, many sawmills don't even have an active recycling program and their wastes are often discarded in natura or burnt without any commercial purpose
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