EVALUATION OF PARTICLE BOARD FROM SUGARCANE BAGASSE AND CORN COB

This article evaluates particle board using corncob (CC) particles and mixing it homogeneously in varying percentages 20%, 40%, 50%, 60% and 80% with sugarcane bagasse (SB) using Urea Formaldehyde resin as adhesive. Particleboards of 100% SB and 100% CC were also made, thereby making seven different compositions. Properties of particleboards produced such as density, water absorption, thickness swelling, modulus of rupture and modulus of elasticity were investigated. The densities of particleboards ranged from 400 Kg/m3 to 620 Kg/m3 . The results of the tests also show that the particleboard with 50% CC and 50% SB using equal volume of adhesive had favorable physical properties that are recommendable for indoor uses in buildings. In contrast, the panels cannot be recommended for load bearing purposes because they exhibit poor mechanical properties, but these mechanical properties tend to improve as the composition of CC increased from 40% to 100%