Mechanical and physical properties of the rice straw particleboard with various compositions of the epoxy resin matrix

Abstract

The rice straw has been utilized to form particleboard by using an epoxy resin matrix. The rice straw particle (20 mesh) was mixed with epoxy resin with the various compositions, pressed with 5 ton of load to produce the rice straw particleboard samples. Mechanical and physical properties of rice straw particleboard were measured. Our results showed that the modulus of rupture (MOR) of rice straw particleboard is in the range of 2.07 to 3.31 kgf/mm 2 , the bending modulus of elasticity (MOE) is found to be 408 to 1490 kgf/mm 2 , and the density (ρ) is in the range of 0.360 to 0.480 g/cm 3 . We found that the MOR, MOE, and ρ have the exponential function of the resin composition with the equations of MOR = 2.0668 + 6.5604e -03327 x (kgf/mm 2 ), MOE = 344.55 + 3159.5e -0203x (kgf/mm 2 ), and p = 0.4414-0.3338e -02183 x (g/cm 2 ), where x is the epoxy resin composition (%). This finding will help manufactory to produce rice straw particleboard for desired values of MOR, MOE, and density.