Abstract
Today, recycling is becoming increasingly important. In recycling process, the product performance should also be considered. In this study, manufacturing insulation fiberboard, as a practical wood product from recycled fibers, was investigated. For this purpose, two types of waste (MDF wastes and waste paper) were recycled to fibers and used for producing insulation fiberboards. The target fiberboard density was 0.3 g/cm3. The ratio of waste paper to MDF waste recycled fibers (WP/RF) was considered at two levels of 70/30 and 50/50. Polyvinyl acetate adhesive was used as a variable in the board manufacturing process. The mechanical properties, dimensional stability, thermal conductivity, and fire resistance of the boards were evaluated. Besides, the thermal stability of fiberboards was studied using thermal analysis including thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential thermal analysis (DTA). The results showed that the insulation fiberboards had admissible mechanical properties and dimensional stability. The manufactured boards displayed low thermal conductivity, which proved to be well competitive with other insulation materials. The fiberboards manufactured with PVAc adhesive and WP/RF ratio of 50/50 had higher fire resistance compared to other treatments. Additionally, results of thermal analysis showed that the use of PVAc adhesive and WP/RF ratio of 50/50 leads to improved thermal stability. Overall, the recycled fibers from MDF and paper wastes appear to be appropriate raw materials for manufacturing thermal insulation panels, and use of PVAc adhesive can significantly improve thermal and practical properties of insulation fiberboards.
Highlights
IntroductionInsulation fiberboard is a free-formaldehyde, green material made of natural fibers with a low density between 0.1 to 0.35 g/cm[3]
The results showed that the length and especially the diameter of recycled fibers are less than those of virgin fibers due to the destruction of fibers in the initial board manufacturing and recycling process
An increased amount of waste paper leads to a decrease in the internal bonding of boards because of heterogeneous forming of boards, which results in a lack of proper bonding between the different components of two types of fiber (Rassam, 2008)
Summary
Insulation fiberboard is a free-formaldehyde, green material made of natural fibers with a low density between 0.1 to 0.35 g/cm[3]. Due to climate change trends and the importance of reduced energy consumption, it is necessary to develop materials with high thermal insulation ability to sustain proper temperature in interior environments (Sable et al, 2015; Torres Rivas et al, 2018). Plastic foam and mineral wools are usually used as thermal insulation in building construction. Regarding the petroleum basis of plastic foam and health risks of mineral wools, it is necessary to find a safer and more environmentally friendly alternative for insulation purposes (Kawasaki and Kawai, 2006). The fiberboards were manufactured by a mixture of recycled fibers from MDF and paper wastes to achieve better formation of natural bonds. Due to its large number of hydroxyl groups, allows natural bonds to be formed, contributing to better formation of fiberboard
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