Medium Density Fiberboard Research Articles

Wood Waste Management from the Furniture Industry: The Environmental Performances of Recycling, Energy Recovery, and Landfill Treatments

Proper management of wood waste (WW) from the furniture industry has become an important issue. Life-cycle assessment (LCA) is a tool that is widely used for identifying environmental gains in WW management strategies. Thus, the aim of this research was to perform a comparative LCA, analyzing the environmental aspects and impacts of different WW management scenarios generated in the furniture industry in the state of Espirito Santo, Brazil. To conduct the study, five scenarios were designed: medium-density fiberboard (MDF) production (Scenario 1), medium-density particleboard (MDP) production (Scenario 2), solid ceramic brick production (Scenario 3), heat production in the ceramics industry (Scenario 4), and landfill disposal (Scenario 5). The results showed that compared to Scenarios 3 and 4, Scenarios 1 and 2 are potentially more favorable for disposing of WW. Scenario 1 achieved more environmental benefits in all of the impact categories evaluated. Notably, 1 m3 of MDF stores 1080 kg CO2 eq/m3, which results in a net impact of −849 kg CO2 eq/m3 of MDF. Scenario 5 is the least favorable practice. This research designs scenarios that contribute to reductions in the demand for virgin sources and increases in environmental gains.

Evaluation of the mechanical performance of chairs without fasteners constructed of wood–based panels

According to the literature review, limited studies were performed related to the production of "without fastener and ready to assemble (RTA)" furniture made of wood-based panel materials with Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machines and the evaluation of their strength. The aim of this study was to evaluate the cyclic loading performance of different types of RTA chairs without fastener which produced with CNC machines by using engineering design approach and product engineering methods including performance tests. In the production of chairs, 18 mm thick oriented strand board, medium density fiberboard and Oriental beech plywood were utilized as wood-based panels. Within the scope of the study, 4 different chair types without fasteners were designed and produced, and performance tests were carried out in 3 different loading directions (front to back, back to front and side thrust) with cyclic stepped increasing loading method according to the principles of American Library Association specification. Totally, 108 real size chairs without fastener were prepared and tested. As a result of the study, it was concluded that the chairs produced from Oriental beech plywood gave the best performances, while the chairs produced from medium density fiberboard gave performance values close to Oriental beech plywood, except for the side thrust test. However, the mechanical performance values of the chairs constructed of oriented strand board were very low. In conclusion, it could be said that the chairs constructed of Oriental beech plywood and medium density fiberboard without fastener have been found to have sufficient mechanical performance.

Multi-modal sorting in plastic and wood waste streams

Addressing the escalating waste crisis necessitates innovative waste management strategies, particularly valorisation techniques, the efficiency of which is dictated by the purity of the feedstock. In order to mitigate the segregation challenges encountered in complex and non-homogeneous waste streams, this work proposes a vision-based architecture ample for effective sorting of parts based on shape and material-related properties. The proposed work encapsulates a novel deep learning multi-modal approach, in which multiple parallel auto-encoders are used to extract spatio-spectral information from the RGB and multi-spectral sensors and project them in a common latent space. By decoding the latent space representations, the class of each object is picked out, thus guiding the robotic sub-system accordingly. To support the proposed deep architecture, a dataset, called Multispectral Mixed Waste Dataset (MMWD) was produced, containing multi-spectral data from the visible (16 bands), near-infrared (25 bands) regions of the electromagnetic spectrum and RGB (3 bands) data. The dataset includes the following seven plastic and wood wastes: Polypropylene (PP), PolyEthylene Terephthalate (PET), Low-Density PolyEthylene (LDPE), High-Density PolyEthylene (HDPE), Medium Density Fibreboard (MDF), Melamine Faced Chipboards (MFC), and Oak Veneer samples. For the localisation of waste along the conveyor belt, YOLO v8 is used to achieve 99.5% mean average precision (mAP50). In the classification task, where the multi-modal approach was followed, the overall accuracy achieved is 96% with the prediction recall being greater than 95% for the majority of classes under examination.

Dispersed composition of particulate matter in the air of enterprises workplaces

The research results of the air of the working area of the metalworking, woodworking and construction industry on the presence of solid particles with the usage of gravimetric method and the following optical light microscopy of clarified filters are presented. It has been established that the mass concentrations and the dispersed composition of particulate matter in the air of the industrial plants depend on the type and technological process of the manufactured goods. Maximum mass concentration of the particulate matter has been identified in the workplace air in medium density fiberboards (MDF) milling, while the maximum amount of the particles has been discovered during the casting of metal products and the pressing of products from MDF. The most widespread fraction in the workplace air in bricks and blocks production, pressing and milling of MDF products, casting and metalworking are the particles 1–2.5 µm in size. The difference in the fraction composition of the suspended particles in the different workshops is caused mainly by the quantity of particles with a diameter 0.5–1 µm and 5–10 µm. These studies can be used to develop standards for the maximum permissible concentrations of fine dispersed fractions of particulate matter in the workplace air of enterprises, and to assess working conditions and professional risk in manufacturing processes

Quantification of fragmentation capture materials and an assessment of the viability of economical alternatives: a preliminary study.

High pressure, high-temperature events need to be quantified experimentally. Where fragmentation occurs, i.e. against personal protective equipment, there is a requirement for both a reliable and repeatable measurement of numerous experimental metrics. Typically, the most critical is calculating the energy absorbed by the target material, to characterize target performance. This is achieved by detonating a device and capturing a proportion of the fragmentation in a suitable material that can achieve successful recovery of all fragmentation produced. Therefore, allowing the estimation of the target's response using the depth of penetration within the capture material which allows the calculation of energy absorption. The current standardized fragmentation capture material used within the UK is known as strawboard. Although effective, this material is both expensive and limited in its availability. This study explores the classification of strawboard to provide a suitable baseline to compare against medium density fibreboard (MDF) and flooring underlay, which represent two more economically friendly alternatives on the openmarket. It was found that the uniformity of response for the MDF material was better than that of strawboard, due to its reproducibility between batches and velocity ranges. To further explore this phenomena, high explosive trials were conducted, further demonstrating MDF to be a viable, reliable and cheaper alternative. This article is part of the theme issue 'Exploring the length scales, timescales and chemistry of challenging materials (Part 2)'.

Comparative life cycle assessment of medium density fiberboard and particleboard: A case study in China

Owing to the similarities in raw materials, technology, and application fields between fiberboard and particleboard, it is crucial to perform a comparative life cycle assessment (LCA) on these two types of panels. This comparison can greatly contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the environmental impact of these panels. However, there is a limited number of studies available regarding the comparative LCA study of these panels. Therefore, in this study, the environmental effects of manufacturing process of dry-process fiberboard (medium-density fiberboard, MDF) and particleboard (PB) were compared. A cradle-to-gate LCA model was developed using eFootprint software. The results showed that PB exhibited better environmental performance than MDF because of the lower power consumption and the amount of urea-formaldehyde (UF) resin required in the manufacturing process. The total environmental impact of PB from cradle to gate was 27.5% lower than that of MDF, and the eco-efficiency of PB was 18.8% higher than that of MDF. Regardless of the panel type, the greatest environmental effect occurred in the raw and auxiliary materials production phase, followed by the board production phase. The environmental effect of the transportation phase was minimal. The production of UF resin and the consumption of electricity were identified as the main environmental hotspots. Finally, two approaches to enhance environmental performance were proposed and applied: first, replacing UF resin with a soy-based adhesive, and second, switching from thermal power to hydropower. In addition, the environmental impacts before and after implementing these approaches were compared.

Effect of Pumice Powder on Mechanical, Thermal, and Water Absorption Properties of Fiberboard Composites

Abstract Composites were produced using medium-density fiberboard (MDF) flour with pumice powder which was mixed at various ratios by the hand lay-up technique. Mechanical properties, such as tensile and three-point bending strengths, were determined by ASTM D3039 and ASTM D790 respectively. The best three-point bending and tensile strength properties were maximum values obtained from composites containing 20wt% pumice powder (pp) and 50wt% pumice powder (pp) respectively. It is observed that the water absorption rate into the composites decreases with an increase in the pumice powder-to-ratio. The composite filled with 50wt%pumice powder absorbed the least amount of water compared to the other composites. All composites were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and differential scanning calorimetry analysis (DSC). SEM images revealed a near-homogeneous surface partly free of defects and holes. However, lateral profile images showed the presence of MDF flour particles agglomerated and a considerable number of bubbles and cavities that could interfere with the mechanical properties of the composites. The results of the mechanical, and thermal properties suggested that pumice powder epoxy composites with MDF flour can increase their tensile, three-point-bending strength, and glass transition temperature for the pure MDF flour composite.

Tunable Acoustic Properties in Reconfigurable Kerf Structures

Freeform structures are appealing in architecture owing to their ability to combine pleasing aesthetics and functionality. Regarding architectural functionality, freeform structures have the potential to meet desired acoustic requirements in indoor architecture through the proper design of materials and geometries. Kerfing is one of the practical methods to generate reconfigurable freeform structures from rigid planar construction materials. This study aims to explore tunable room acoustic characteristics through the use of kerf structures. In this study, we investigate acoustic responses of kerf structures made out of a medium density fiber board having a hexagon spiral kerf pattern with varying cut densities. Experiments are conducted to measure the acoustic properties (e.g., absorption coefficient) of the kerf unit cells with different cut densities. We then design kerf patterns using the parametric design method and explore the flexibility of kerf structures with different kerf cut densities. We model the kerf structures of varying kerf cut density and shape reconfigurations and use a ray-tracing simulation to study their impacts on the acoustic performance, i.e., reverberation times, of a small office space. Overall, this study leverages the unique attributes of kerf structures such as different cut densities and shape reconfigurations to tune the room acoustics in addition to their usage in indoor architectures due to their pleasing aesthetics.

Innovative Smart Drilling with Critical Event Detection and Material Classification

This work presents a cyber-physical drilling machine that incorporates technologies discovered in the fourth industrial revolution. The machine is designed to realize its state by detecting whether it hits or breaks through the workpiece, without the need for additional sensors apart from the position sensor. Such self-recognition enables the machine to adapt and shift the controllers that handle position, velocity, and force, based on the workpiece and the drilling environment. In the experiment, the machine can detect and switch controls that follow the drilling events (HIT and BREAKHTROUGH) within 0.1 and 0.5 s, respectively. The machine’s high visibility design is beneficial for classification of the workpiece material. By using a support-vector-machine (SVM) on thrust force and feed rate, the authors are seen to achieve 92.86% accuracy for classification of material, such as medium-density fiberboard (MDF), acrylic, and glass.

Effect of Three Kinds of Aloe Emodin Microcapsules Prepared by SDBS, OP-10 and TWEEN-80 Emulsifiers on Antibacterial, Optical and Mechanical Properties of Water-Based Coating for MDF

To investigate an impact of microcapsules on water-based coatings for a medium density fiberboard (MDF), three types of aloe emodin microcapsules prepared at a 3.0% concentration of SDBS, OP-10 and TWEEN-80 emulsifiers were added to the water-based coatings and applied on a MDF surface. Then, three sets of coatings were tested. Antibacterial properties of three groups of coatings on MDF surface increased with the addition of aloe emodin microcapsule content, and antibacterial properties of the water-based coating against Escherichia coli in the three groups were slightly superior to that of Staphylococcus aureus. The water-based coatings on the MDF surface with SDBS as the emulsifier showed the highest antibacterial rates of 74.1% and 66.0% against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, respectively. The antibacterial rates of 70.0% and 62.8% were achieved for the OP-10 emulsifier group, and 67.0% and 61.9% for the TWEEN-80 emulsifier group, respectively. The aloe emodin microcapsules prepared at a 3.0% concentration of SDBS, OP-10 and TWEEN-80 emulsifiers inhibit bacterial growth and improve the mechanical and optical properties of coatings. It supplies technical references for the utilization of aloe emodin microcapsules to the antibacterial coating on the surface of wooden furniture.

Thermokinetic Study of Catalytic Pyrolysis of Medium-Density Fiberboards over Beta-Zeolite-Supported Platinum

Catalytic pyrolysis is an attractive alternative for converting biomass into energy and chemicals, replacing fossil sources. Efficient catalysts can be used to remove compounds containing oxygen during pyrolysis, improving the bio-oil properties and thus being an important route towards sustainability. Catalytic pyrolysis of medium-density fiberboard (MDF) residues over platinum (1%) supported on beta zeolite was carried out using a biomass/catalyst ratio of 1.0/0.2. The catalysts were characterized via Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, flame atomic absorption spectrometry, X-ray diffraction, nuclear magnetic resonance, temperature-programmed reduction, and temperature-programmed desorption of ammonia. The thermokinetic and thermodynamic parameters were determined using the isoconversional and non-isothermal methods of Friedman, Flynn-Wall-Ozawa (FWO), and Kissinger-Ahakira-Sunose (KAS). The Friedman method was the most adequate to describe the reaction and thermodynamic parameters. The results show that the catalysts promote the reduction in activation energy compared to non-catalytic pyrolysis. Non-impregnated and impregnated catalysts showed different activation energies and thus different reactions. The addition of platinum slightly increased the activation energy due to the promotion of reactions that require more energy, for example, cracking and coke deposition.

The Use of a Radial Basis Function Neural Network and Fuzzy Modelling in the Assessment of Surface Roughness in the MDF Milling Process.

Wood-based composites are increasingly used in the industry not only because of the shortage of solid wood, but above all because of the better properties, such as high strength and aesthetic appearance compared to wood. Medium-density fiberboard (MDF) is a wood-based composite that is widely used in the furniture industry. In this work, an attempt was made to predict the surface roughness of the machined MDF in the milling process based on acceleration signals from an industrial piezoelectric sensor installed in the cutting zone. The surface roughness parameter Sq was adopted for the evaluation and measurement of surface roughness. The surface roughness prediction was performed using a radial basis function (RBF) artificial neural network (ANN) and a Takagi-Sugeno--Kang (TSK) fuzzy model with subtractive clustering. In the research, as inputs to the ANNs and fuzzy model, the kinematic parameters of the cutting process and selected measures of the acceleration signal were adopted. At the output, the values of the surface roughness parameter Sq were obtained. The results of the experiments show that the surface roughness is influenced not only by the kinematic parameters of the cutting, but also by the vibrations generated during the milling process. Therefore, by combining information on the cutting kinematics parameters and vibration, the accuracy of the surface roughness prediction in the milling process of MDF can be improved. The use of TSK fuzzy modelling based on the subtractive clustering method for integrating the information from many acceleration signal measurements in the examined range of cutting conditions meant the surface roughness was predicted with high accuracy and high reliability. With the help of two tested artificial intelligence tools, it is possible to estimate the surface roughness of the workpiece with only a small error. When using a radial neural network, the root mean square error for estimating the value of the Sq parameter was 0.379 μm, while the estimation error based on fuzzy logic was 0.198 μm. The surface of the sample made with the cutting parameters vc = 76 m/min and vf = 1200 mm/min is characterized by a less concentrated distribution of ordinate densities, compared to the surface of the sample cut with lower feed rates but at the same cutting speed. The most concentrated distribution of ordinate density (for the cutting speed vc = 76 m/min) is characterized by the surface, where the feed rate value was vf = 200 mm/min, with 90% of the material concentrated in the profile height of 28.2 μm. When using an RBF neural network, the RMSE of estimating the value of the Sq parameter was 0.379 μm, while the estimation error based on fuzzy logic was 0.198 μm.

Fabrication of structurally graded material (pure PLA/WFPC): Mechanical and microscopic aspects

The aim of this study is to provide first-hand knowledge on additively manufactured structurally graded material (SGM) (polylactic acid / wood-fiber polymer composites) wall. Polylactic acid or polylactide is most effectively used in manufacturing plastic films, bottles, biodegradable medical devices, textile, and agricultural goods. Wood-fiber polymer composites are essentially used in furniture, particleboard, oriented strand board, medium-density fibreboard, plywood, and constructions. SGM is characterized through the change in material composition that is applicable to specific functions. Fabricated SGM exhibited mechanical property such as tensile strength (15.78 ± 0.05 MPa), compressive strength (46.8 ± 2.7 MPa), flexural strength (88.2 ± 0.15 MPa), and impact energy (1.64 ± 0.07 J). Hardness value of SGM is 74.5 shore-D. The coupon studies revealed that SGM possesses better mechanical characteristics than wood-fiber polymer composites and is on par with polylactic acid. The observed morphologies on fracture surface indicate the brittle nature of fracture. This SGM come under advanced materials that are utilized in biomedical, defence, energy, aviation, and nuclear sector, for integrated structural and thermal application.

Electrochemical treatment of wastewater containing urea-formaldehyde and melamine-formaldehyde

The wastewater containing urea-formaldehyde (UF) and melamine-formaldehyde (MF) from the medium-density fiberboard (MDF) lamination factory disposed into the waterbodies adversely affects human health and aquatic life. Therefore, its treatment before discharge is necessary. Researchers have used various techniques to treat this type of wastewater in the past, but none have tried electrochemical (EC). However, EC can potentially remove pollutants such as chemical oxygen demand (COD), total organic carbon (TOC), formaldehyde (FA), total nitrogen (TN), nitrogen nitrate (NO3–N), and other hydrocarbons. Hence, this study uses the EC technique to treat wastewater containing UF and MF with aluminium electrodes. The experiments were run in batch mode with a 250 mL working volume in a 500 mL Pyrex glass beaker using a variable DC power supply (0–30 V and 0–5 A). The impacts of various parameters, including reaction time (RT) 30–240 min, current density (CD) 8.66–51.94 mA/cm2, inter-electrode distance (IED) 1–2 cm, and mixing speed in the range of 60–120 rpm were examined to achieve the best pollutant removals. The best removal percentage was reached at the optimized conditions of 150 min RT, 43.28 mA/cm2 CD, 1.5 cm IED, and 80 rpm: 81.1% TOC, 61.5% COD, 76.7% TN, 28.3% NO3–N, and 55.2% FA. During the EC process, electrodes and energy consumption were estimated at around 2.367 (g/L) and 0.18 (kWh/L), respectively. A kinetic analysis was also carried out to determine the pollutant's removal trend. This study concluded that the pseudo-first-order kinetic model was the best fit for removing TOC and FA with regression coefficients of 0.96 and 0.83, respectively.

Effect of Hydrolysis Regime on the Properties of Fibers Obtained from Recycling Medium-Density Fiberboards

Unlike the recycling of particleboards, the recycling of medium-density fiberboards (MDF) is not a widespread industrial practice, and currently, most waste MDF panels are landfilled or incinerated after the end of their life cycle. Therefore, it is of great importance to develop cost-effective methods for MDF recycling. The extraction of resins used for bonding the panels, mostly urea–formaldehyde (UF) resins, is carried out mainly with hydrolysis. Hydrothermal hydrolysis is a more environmentally friendly and cheaper recycling technique compared to acid hydrolysis and allows obtaining a high yield of recycled fibers. The aim of this research work was to investigate and evaluate the effect of hydrolysis regime applied on its efficiency and on the properties of the recycled MDF fibers. For this purpose, thermal hydrolysis was carried out in an autoclave with saturated steam as a heat carrier. The main novelty of the research is the preliminary preparation of the recyclable MDF in samples with dimensions close to those of pulp chips. The effect of hydrolysis regime characteristics, i.e., process time and temperature on the properties of recycled MDF wood fibers, was studied. The hydrolysis temperatures used were 121 °C (saturated steam pressure of 0.2 MPa) and 134 °C (saturated steam pressure of 0.3 MPa); for each temperature, three durations were applied—30, 45, and 60 min. After hydrolysis, the resulting fiber fraction was refined using a hammer mill. The fractional and elemental composition of the recycled fibers obtained were evaluated. The hemicellulose content after each hydrolysis treatment was also determined. The chemical oxygen demand (COD) was defined as an indicator of wastewater contamination and as an indirect indicator of the quantitative yield of the process. The results revealed no significant changes in the elemental composition of the recycled fibers, and the hydrolysis regimes used showed no decrease in pentosan content. The recycled MDF fibers exhibited similar fiber morphology and fractional composition, being shorter than fibers from industrial pulp. The increased temperature and time of hydrolysis resulted in a significant increase in COD values. Based on the obtained results, with a view to the slightest contamination of wastewater (as determined by COD), the most promising hydrolysis regime was at a temperature of 121 °C and a time of 30 min. It should be emphasized that for a confirmation of this statement, the properties of MDF panels fabricated with fibers recycled in different regimes should be subsequently investigated.

Study on the dynamic stability of circular saw blade during medium density fiberboard sawing process with thermo-mechanical coupling

The dynamic stability of the circular saw blade determines whether the sawing process can smoothly proceed. The sawing heat significantly affects the dynamic stability of the circular saw blade. This study proposes a sawing heat simulation method which allows to analyze the temperature, stress, and natural frequency of a blade sawing medium density fiberboard (MDF). The edge temperature of the saw blade in high-speed cutting is higher than that in low-speed cutting, which leads to the formation of a large temperature gradient and reduces the natural frequency of the saw blade. However, the centrifugal stress more significantly increases the natural frequency during high-speed cutting, the saw blade still has better dynamic stability than during low-speed cutting. The simulated saw blade temperature field and static natural frequency are consistent with the experimental results, which validates the proposed method. The proposed model allows to predict the saw blade temperature distributions and to effectively set the sawing parameters.

Modified graphene as potential additive for urea formaldehyde (UF) resin in medium density fiberboard (MDF) manufacturing

In this study, graphene oxide (GO) and ethylenediamine-functionalized graphene oxide (EDA-GO) materials were used as a multifunction additive in a UF resin to test the relevant effects on the release of formaldehyde from medium density fiberboard (MDF). The GO was synthesized from graphite using the modified hummers method. Then, the as-synthesized GO was functionalized with ethylenediamine (EDA). The as-synthesized and modified nanomaterials were characterized by XRD, Raman Spectroscopy, AFM, and SEM-EDS techniques. These tests confirmed that the nanomaterials were of the required quality, and they were added to the resin to make the relevant panels. After making the boards, they were tested to determine their physical and mechanical properties, as well as formaldehyde emission based on relevant standards. Modulus of elasticity and formaldehyde emission reduction of the EDA-GO3-treated MDF panel were with the highest values. On the contrary, the higher performance of GO than that of EDA-GO was observed in a thermal property (t100°C). Microstructure and polar increase in the graphite planes network, due to oxidation, may be considered for its GO effects. Amino-functionalization of graphene oxide planes is suggested as the cause of the minimum formaldehyde emission and the maximum modulus of elasticity in the EDA-GO-incorporated MDF board since resin reaction sites with formaldehyde were enhanced by increasing the amine group content.

Challenges for recycling medium-density fiberboard (MDF)

Medium-density fiberboard (MDF) is commonly used for furniture manufactured. The increase in demand and the short relative lifecycle have increased the generated waste volume, increasing concerns about disposal. Despite being mainly composed of input from a renewable source, very little of this material is recycled. In this sense, this aim article performed a literature overview of MDF recycling technologies presenting the challenges and perspectives to overcome this problem. The relevant articles considered for this review were selected from the Web of Science and the Scopus databases. The first step for MDF recycling is its disintegration, which inevitably changes the properties of the wood fibers from MDF waste. Allied with this, the other constituents, like resin, are a challenge to a recycling process that, a priori, is more appropriately carried out only with fibers. Ideally, it would be recycling the MDF in new panels, however, due to the mentioned issues, it is not possible in its entirety, and in a continuous way (in several recycling cycles). As MDF waste is a material with caloric capacity during combustion, converting it to energy is a possibility, especially when other more sustainable alternatives are difficult. An emerging alternative is the pyrolysis and enzymolysis of MDF to obtain valued products. Further studies are needed, both for the disintegration processes to preserve the characteristics of the MDF fibers and the other constituents together with the MDF to favor its recycling. It is lacking evaluation of the economic, and principally environmental issues of each recycling alternative.

Gasification of MDF residue in an updraft fixed bed gasifier to produce heat and power via an ORC turbine

Biomass, which is a renewable resource, is regarded as an essential energy source due to its accessibility and abundance. In this study, the gasification of wood-based biomass wastes from the medium density fiberboard (MDF) facility was carried out and investigated utilizing an updraft fixed bed gasifier. The feeding capacity of the upstream gasifier is 2100 kg/h. MDF wastes are loaded into the system with feeding capacities of 1500, 1750 and 2100 kg/h. As a reference, the system has also been tested with oak wood chips at a maximum rate of 2100 kg/h. Produced syngas production rate to biomass waste is approximately 2.5 Nm3/kg. The measured gas compositions are CO, CO2, CH4, H2, O2 and N2. Test results with 2100 kg/hMDF wastes have similar gas composition compared to the test results with oak wood chips. The quality of the syngas produced by gasification is directly related to the fuel. It has been observed that the efficiency of the gasification process can be directly or indirectly impacted by the properties of the fuel, such as the moisture content, chemical compositions, and size. The temperature of the produced gas is approximately 430 °C, and it isdirectly combusted with tars and soot it contains to ensure that no chemical energy is lost. The thermal gasification system converts approximately 88% by weight of MDF residue to syngas. The calorific value of produced syngas is obtained between 6.0 and 7.0 MJ/Nm3. The hot syngas containing tars produced from the gasifier was directly burned in the thermal oil heater retrofitted to vortex syngas burner to recover thermal energy, which was then utilized in the production of energy via an ORC turbine. The thermal oil heater has a thermal capacity of 7MWh and the power generation capacity of the ORC turbine is 955 kW of electricity.

Synthesis of graphene oxide (GO) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and their application as nano-fillers to improve the physical and mechanical properties of medium density fiberboard

Graphene is an advanced material in the carbon group and offers greater mechanical, electrical, structural, and optical properties. Graphene oxide (GO) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanoparticles were synthesized and characterized and their special effects on enhancing the physio-mechanical characteristics of medium density fiberboard (MDF) were assessed. GO and rGO nanoparticles were added to urea formaldehyde (UF) resin at different weight percentages (1.0, 2.0, and 3.0 wt%) during the dosing process. To manufacture the MDF, nanofillers were created by sonication and combination with natural wood fibers. To observe the behavior of nanoparticles in the nanofillers, microstructure characterizations were conducted. The manufactured nano MDF samples underwent physical and mechanical testing. The incorporation of GO and rGO nanoparticles into UF resin led to significant improvements in the physical and mechanical properties of the MDF. The addition of GO and rGO nanoparticles at different weight percentages (1.0, 2.0, and 3.0 wt%) resulted in a range of improvements in thickness swelling (up to 53.3% and 35.2% for GO and rGO nanoparticles, respectively), water absorption (up to 23.3% and 63.15%, respectively), and thermal conductivity (up to 42.16% and 27.7%, respectively). Additionally, the internal bond and rupture modulus of the MDF was enhanced by 59.0% and 70.0%, respectively, for GO and 41.4% and 48.5% for rGO. The highest value of the modulus of rupture (MoR) was observed at a concentration of 3.0% of rGO nanoparticles (44.7 MPa). The findings also showed that thickness swelling (Ts) and water absorption (WA) exhibited directly proportional relationships for 3.0% GO and rGO. These results suggested that incorporating GO and rGO nanoparticles into UF resin can significantly improve the physical and mechanical properties of nano MDF.