PROPERTIES OF HEMP SHIVE PANELS WITH DIFFERENT RESIN CONTENT

Abstract

Wood-based panels are one of the leading materials for frame structures of furniture. The worldwide shortage of wood raw materials necessitates searching for alternative sources to produce panels. Hemp shives are a representative of precisely this type of raw material. They are characterised by low bulk density and high fibre strength. For this study, four types of one-layered panels from hemp shives were fabricated in laboratory conditions, with a resin content of 8, 10, 12, and 14%, respectively. Accordingly, their main physical and mechanical properties were determined and compared to those of particleboards from raw wood material. It was found that the obtained panels from hemp shives have very good mechanical properties, and their high edge screw withdrawal resistance is very promising in terms of applicability for furniture constructions. As a direct result of these findings, the resin content is not recommended to be above 10%.